Woman whose dream of becoming a teacher remained unfulfilled becomes Sarpanch of Bhainswada

An inspiring result has emerged from the recently held Sarpanch elections in Bhainswada Gram Panchayat of Rajasthan's Jalore district. Here, Sharada Kumari Rana has assumed the responsibility of Gram Panchayat Sarpanch after winning the election. Sharada Rana's victory is not just a political win, but a symbol of her personal struggle and the strength of democracy. Sharada, who once dreamed of improving children's futures by becoming a teacher, will now handle the responsibility of the entire village's development.

According to reports today, Sharada Kumari Rana had obtained B.A. and B.Ed. degrees and wanted to become a teacher. However, during the tenure of the previous Ashok Gehlot government, the third-grade teacher recruitment was cancelled, due to which her dream of becoming a teacher remained unfulfilled. Despite not getting a government job, Sharada did not give up. She started sewing to earn her livelihood and continue her preparations. After this period of struggle, she decided to enter the electoral fray to test her luck.

The Sarpanch seat in Bhainswada Gram Panchayat of Ahour assembly constituency was reserved for the general category women. Initially, a total of 13 women candidates filed their nominations for this seat, out of which two women withdrew their names. Consequently, a total of 11 women candidates remained in the electoral contest. Among these 11 candidates, five were from the general category, five from the OBC category, and the sole candidate from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category was Sharada Kumari Rana.

In the polling held on October 30, out of a total of 4159 voters of the Gram Panchayat, 2671 voters exercised their right to vote. During the counting of votes, 107 votes were rejected and 13 votes went to NOTA. Out of a total of 2564 valid votes, Sharada Kumari Rana received 650 votes, while her closest rival Umakumari received 461 votes. Thus, Sharada Rana recorded a magnificent victory in this election with a margin of 189 votes and assumed the post of Sarpanch.

Sharada Rana's victory is being widely discussed because the candidate she defeated is associated with the influential political and Rawla family of the area. The defeated candidate, Umakumari, is the wife of Shivpratap Singh, the grandson of Madhosinh, who has been a three-time MLA of the Ahour assembly constituency. Umakumari holds ownership of the heritage Rawla of Bhainswada. In the election affidavit, Umakumari declared her total assets to be ₹6 crore 56 lakh 34 thousand 596. Furthermore, her husband Shivpratap Singh has previously served as the Sarpanch of Bhainswada in 2015.

Sharada Rana, coming from a common background and making a living through sewing, proved that in a democracy, the decision of the voters is supreme by defeating a candidate with crores of assets and political clout. This victory has sparked discussion throughout the area on how an ordinary woman has achieved a major victory through her struggle.

Speaking on this victory, the newly elected Sarpanch Sharada Kumari Rana's husband, Achaleshwar Rana, said that every effort will be made to live up to the trust expressed by the people of the village. He added that development works will be carried forward by taking all the people of the village along.

Thus, this election of Bhainswada Panchayat has become a story of struggle, hope, and the power of democracy, where a woman with B.A.-B.Ed. degrees who worked as a seamstress has attained the greatest responsibility of the village.