Recap 2025: 5 Women Politicians Who Won the People's Mandate

By: WE Staff

As 2025 comes to a close, we look back at women’s achievements throughout the year. In this article, we highlight five women politicians who aced the electoral mandate in 2025 and took over key administrative positions. 

In 2025, Indian politics entered a defining phase as women leaders decisively stepped into positions of authority, transforming legislative spaces that were once dominated by men. No longer confined to symbolic representation, women today are shaping policy, budgets, and governance outcomes with visible influence. From Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, whose fiscal leadership continues to anchor India’s economic roadmap, to senior leaders like Smriti Irani and Annpurna Devi, women are driving critical discussions across ministries and Parliament, redefining leadership at the highest levels of government.

This power shift has been strongly reinforced by voter behaviour. Women emerged as a decisive electoral force in 2025, recording a historically high participation. In Bihar, over 71 percent of eligible women voters cast their ballots, nearly nine percentage points higher than male turnout, directly influencing results across more than 130 constituencies, where the winning alliance secured close to 88 percent of seats. Delhi echoed this trend, with women voters marginally surpassing male participation at 60.9 percent, marking a rare and symbolic milestone in urban electoral history.

Although women currently occupy only about nine percent of seats in many state legislatures, this figure represents steady progress compared to previous decades. Combined with their growing voter strength and policy leadership, women politicians are altering India’s political equations, reshaping governance priorities, strengthening economic decision-making, and signalling a long-term transformation in the nation’s democratic landscape.

The Women Entrepreneurs Review Magazine brings you the top five women politicians elected this year, whose leadership, electoral mandate, and historic significance are redefining governance and setting new benchmarks for India’s political future.

Rekha Gupta - Chief Minister & MLA, Delhi

Rekha Gupta is the Chief Minister of Delhi, having assumed office on 20 February 2025, and represents the Shalimar Bagh constituency as a BJP MLA. A lawyer by profession, she brings over two decades of political experience, beginning with student leadership at Delhi University and rising through municipal governance. She served as a three-time councillor and Mayor of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, building strong grassroots credibility before her elevation as Delhi’s 7th Chief Minister.

Minister Rekha holds a B.Com from Daulat Ram College, Delhi University, and an LLB from Chaudhary Charan Singh University. Her leadership aligns closely with the BJP’s national vision, focusing on healthcare, education, equity, and administrative reforms. She currently oversees key portfolios including Finance, Planning, Revenue, Women & Child Development, and Vigilance.

Atishi Marlena - MLA, Leader of Opposition, Delhi

Atishi Marlena is the MLA from Kalkaji and currently serves as the Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, a position she assumed on 23 February 2025, becoming the first woman to hold the role in the capital’s political history.

A senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, she previously served as Chief Minister of Delhi from September 2024 to February 2025, succeeding Arvind Kejriwal. Earlier, she handled key cabinet portfolios including Education, Women & Child Development, Culture, Tourism, and PWD, earning recognition for spearheading school reforms, teacher training initiatives, and student-focused programs. An alumna of St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, and an Oxford-educated Rhodes Scholar, she is known for her reformist approach and policy-driven leadership.

Maithili Thakur - Youngest MLA, Bihar

Maithili Thakur made history in November 2025 by becoming the youngest MLA in Bihar at just 25, after winning the Alinagar seat in Darbhanga on a BJP ticket. A celebrated classical and folk singer, she defeated RJD’s Binod Mishra, marking the first-ever BJP victory in the constituency.

Born in June 2000 into a musically inclined family, Maithili rose to national prominence through reality television and later built a massive following through devotional and folk performances in Maithili, Bhojpuri, and Hindi. Her transition from cultural icon to legislator symbolizes the growing convergence of art, youth, and governance. Seen as a fresh voice for young women and rural Bihar, her election reflects the BJP’s push for youthful, culturally rooted leadership and contributed to the NDA’s decisive mandate in the state.

Jayanthi Rajan - National Leader in IUML

Jayanthi Rajan emerged as a historic figure in May 2025 when she was appointed National Assistant Secretary of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), becoming one of the first women national office-bearers in the party’s 77-year history. Hailing from Wayanad, Kerala, she is also IUML’s prominent Dalit woman leader, marking a dual breakthrough in a traditionally male-dominated political structure.

Before her elevation, she served as national secretary of the IUML Women’s League, where she strengthened grassroots networks and advocated leadership pathways for young women. Jayanthi’s appointment reflects IUML’s effort to broaden inclusivity by elevating women, Dalits, and non-traditional voices within its ranks.

Shreyasi Singh - MLA & Minister, Bihar

Shreyasi Singh, BJP MLA from Jamui and currently serves as Bihar’s Minister for Sports and Information Technology, having assumed office in November 2025 in the Nitish Kumar cabinet. Re-elected in 2025 with a decisive margin of over 54,000 votes, she represents a blend of political credibility and national sporting excellence.

A Commonwealth Games gold medallist in Double Trap shooting and a former Olympian, Shreyasi brings a results-driven approach to governance. As Sports Minister, she has prioritised upgrading stadiums, training centres, and district-level sports infrastructure to retain athletic talent within Bihar. In her IT portfolio, she is expected to drive digital expansion and youth-focused initiatives. At 34, she is among Bihar’s youngest ministers, symbolising the rise of aspirational, women-led leadership in the state.