Patna: Dr Shweta Gupta, the first woman ever elected from the Sheohar Assembly constituency, was sworn in as a minister on Thursday as part of chief minister Samrat Choudhary’s cabinet expansion ceremony in Patna.
The 44-year-old Janata Dal (United) legislator has emerged as one of the new faces in Bihar politics following her decisive victory in the recent assembly elections. Her elevation to the state cabinet marks a significant political milestone for Sheohar, a constituency that had never before elected a woman MLA in the 78 years since India’s independence.
Before entering politics, Gupta built a reputation as a doctor serving patients across the Sitamarhi and Sheohar regions. She and her husband, Dr Varun Kumar, are well known locally for their involvement in healthcare and educational institutions.
Gupta won the Sheohar seat on a JD(U) ticket with 97,269 votes, defeating Navneet Kumar of the Rashtriya Janata Dal by a margin of 31,398 votes. Kumar secured 65,871 votes in the contest.
The Bahujan Samaj Party candidate, Md Sharfuddin, finished third with 16,469 votes, while Neeraj Singh came fourth with 13,952 votes.
Her induction into the cabinet is being viewed by JD(U) leaders as both a recognition of her electoral performance and an attempt to strengthen the party’s outreach in north Bihar.
