Shanno Devi Explained

Office:Speaker of the Haryana Legislative Assembly
Term Start:6 December 1966
Term End:17 March 1967
Office1:Deputy speaker of the Punjab Legislative Assembly
Term Start1:20 March 1951
Term End1:26 March 1951
Term Start2:19 March 1962
Term End2:31 October 1966
Birth Date:1 June 1901
Death Date:17 July 1978
Occupation:Politician
Party:Indian National Congress

Shanno Devi (born 1 June 1901) was an Indian politician was the first woman speaker of a State Assembly in India. She was member of the Indian National Congress from the state of Punjab.[1] She was the speaker of the Haryana Legislative Assembly from 6 December 1966 to 17 March 1967,[2] [3] and the deputy speakers of the Punjab Legislative Assembly from 19 March 1962 to 31 October 1966.

Political career

Devi was from the Indian National Congress party and represented the Amritsar City West constituency (1951 to 1957) and the Jagadhri constituency (1962 to 1966) of the Indian state of Punjab. Devi was first elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly (then undivided India) in 1940 from Multan defeating the son of Ganga Ram by about 6000 votes. She was re-elected for the same seat in 1946 by defeating her closest rival candidate by 19000 votes.[4] In the following election of 1951, she contested on behalf of Indian National Congress and she won against Parkash Chand of the Bhartiya Jan Sangh by about 8000 votes,[5] and was elected again as a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly in the 1962 assembly election on an Indian National Congress ticket by defeating Inder Sain of the JS by about 5000 votes.[6] On 6 December 1966, she joined Haryana legislative assembly as its first speaker, where she also served as a deputy speaker.[7]

Personal life

Devi was born in Multan, then undivided India. Her father Lal Sait Ram Khanna was a Government servant. Devi graduated from Kanya Maha Vidyalaya, Jalandhar and started indulging into politics as a student leader, holding posts as district president of the congress party. After the Partition of India she moved to Punjab, India. She was elected twice to the Punjab Legislative Assembly and then to Haryana Legislative Assembly.[8]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: first woman deputy speakers in India . 9788176484558 . 5 July 2017. Chander . Prakash . 2003 .
  2. Web site: Haryana Legislative Assembly speaker . legislativebodiesinindia.nic.in . 5 July 2017 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170513091707/http://legislativebodiesinindia.nic.in/STATISTICAL/Haryana.htm . 13 May 2017 .
  3. Web site: only woman to occupy a prominent position was Shanno Devi, the first Speaker of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. . tribuneindia.com . 5 July 2017.
  4. Web site: 1940 & 1946 election of Multan . 1950 . 5 July 2017.
  5. Web site: Election Results in Amritsar City West, Punjab . elections.traceall.in . 5 July 2017.
  6. Web site: Election Results in Jagadhri, Punjab . elections.traceall.in . 5 July 2017.
  7. Web site: Haryana Review, September 2009, Vol 23 Issue 8 . Haryana Review . 14 February 2019 . 12 .
  8. Web site: List of Successful Candidates in Punjab Assembly Election in 1962 . elections.in . 9 July 2017.