At 25, Chandrani Murmu scripts history to become youngest Lok Sabha MP

For those with a steadfast will and unwavering determination, age is just a number. A number that does not get in the way of turning their aspirations into reality.

At 25, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) party’s Chandrani Murmu has created history by becoming the youngest Lok Sabha Member. Contesting from Odisha’s Keonjhar constituency, which is reserved for the members of Scheduled Tribes, Chandrani defeated BJP’s two-time MP Ananta Nayak by a margin of 66,203 votes.

Her entry into politics though was not a planned one. A BTech in Mechanical Engineering, Chandrani was looking for a government or an engineering job in a private company, until her uncle, Harmohan Soren, a social worker, encouraged her to contest for the Lok Sabha elections. Luckily, she got a BJD ticket as the party was looking for a qualified woman who was willing to enter the political arena.

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Chandrani also received encouragement and motivation from Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Commenting about this, she told News 18:

“That day, I could not believe that I was actually standing in front of the Chief Minister. He asked me to work hard and congratulated me. On April 2, I was given the ticket, and on May 23, with the support of people, I defeated Ananta sir of BJP.”

However, Chandrani’s road to success had many hurdles. First, a complaint was raised by the BJP before the Chief Electoral Officer regarding inconsistencies found in her father’s name. Then, a salacious video with edited images of Chandrani were circulated on WhatsApp. However, the police immediately sprang into action and arrested the five suspects.

“I never thought there would be a slanderous campaign against me,” she told The Indian Express. “No woman should be subjected to such humiliation.”

These incidents, however, did not deter Chandrani in her efforts to serve the public. Now, after winning the elections, she has a number of developmental plans and projects lined up for her constituency.

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These include establishing a steel plant, setting up railway lines to bolster public transportation, generating employment opportunities, and improved access to education for the empowerment of youth and women.

Chandrani told She The People,

“I want the youth here to get opportunities - whether in politics or whichever field they choose to be in.”

Commenting about her plans to develop Keonjhar, she told News 18,

“I am aware of the tag attached to Keonjhar. Since the announcement of my candidature was made only a few weeks before the filing of the nomination, I did not have enough time to visit Keonjhar. My priority now will be to know the constituency and spend time with people.”

By winning the elections, Chandrani has broken the previous record held by Jannayak Janta Party’s Dushyant Chautala to become the youngest Member of Parliament. Dushyant had represented Haryana’s Hisar constituency in the 16th Lok Sabha elections.

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