Maharashtra: Medical student, vegetable vendor win sarpanch polls

A 21-year-old medical student won the sarpanch election in the Sangli district on her return from Georgia, while in the Kolhapur district, a 25-year-old vegetable seller won the sarpanch election by 60 votes. Voting for 7,682-gram panchayats in parts of Maharashtra was held on December 18. The results were declared on Tuesday.

Pune: Yashodhara Shinde (21), aspired to become a doctor and was pursuing the medical course in Georgia, but fate had something else in store for her as she returned to her village in Maharashtra, contested the sarpanch election and won. She now plans to work for the betterment of her village Vaddi in Miraj tehsil of Sangli district and also complete her education online.

Shinde said she wants to make women self-reliant, introduce e-learning and other educational tools for students, help children adopt good health habits, and contribute towards the betterment of youth's aspirations and the welfare of the farmers' community in the village. "I have been pursuing the MBBS course at the New Vision University in Georgia. Currently, I am in the 4th year and one-and-a-half years of the course is still left to be completed," she said.

"When elections were announced in my village, locals wanted someone from our family to contest for the sarpanch's post. A decision was taken to field me for the position. I got a call from my family and I returned, contested the election and won," said Shinde. Asked about her plans as sarpanch for the development of the village, Shinde said her main focus will be to address the issues of women and make them stand on their feet.

Her priority list also includes the welfare of children and their education. Shinde also said she will work with the youth on the development agenda of the village. Asked about her medical course and how she wishes to pursue it, Shinde said she will complete her education online and her friends will also help in her studies.

Meanwhile, a 25-year-old vegetable seller in the Bambawade market of Shahuwadi tehsil, Ananda Ramchandra Bhosale, has won the sarpanch election at the Varewadi village in Kolhapur. Bhosale had completed his university education by working as a room boy in a hotel. He calls himself a staunch supporter of Balasaheb Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray. Bhosale won by 60 votes.

"Our village has many people working as head loaders in the mandis in cities. I, however, decided to become a vegetable vendor. I continued my education, which helped me win the confidence of the villagers," he said. Voting for 7,682 gram panchayats in parts of Maharashtra was held on December 18. The results were declared on Tuesday.