Sudha and Devika are two transgender women that made history in their local village election wins.
Devika from Mysuru achieved an incredible outcome last month (December 30) as the results of the 2020 Karnataka Gram Panchayat elections were unveiled.
The 46 year-old was elected from ward number seven in Saligrama panchayat and secured 115 ballot votes in total, winning the election by five votes.
Having lived in Saligrama for 35 years, the newly elected hopes to use her experiences to guide her political decisions.
“I decided to contest the elections after my friends encouraged me. Besides, the people here encouraged me when I went to their house seeking votes. Now, I want to give back to the community that elected me,” she told The News Minute.
“I will listen to the concerns of residents in my locality (ward seven) and highlight whatever issues they come to me with. I aim to be available to my residents for even the smallest of needs,” she later added.
Speaking to The Times of India, locals shared support of Devika’s victory. “She contested on her own. She is a resident of the local SC Colony,” said SJ Gunapal Jain, a former gram panchayat member from the village.
“It helped her achieve this feat. She didn’t identify herself with any group, team or political party.”
Devika wasn’t the only trans pioneer to make history in India last year. In fact, Sudha was the second to do so. Hailing from Ballari, the district Hosapete village, Sudha won the 2020 Karnataka Gram Panchayat elections in Kalahalli.
Aftering securing an incredible 622 votes, Sudha claimed a landslide win with a 400 vote lead.
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