The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday appointed Rukmani Nishad, elder sister of former MP Phoolan Devi, as the state president of its women’s wing (SP Mahila Sabha) in a move seen as reinforcing its PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) plank ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The party’s women’s wing is led by Akhilesh Yadav’s close aide Juhie Singh.
Rukmani Nishad has long been active in social and political spheres and was previously associated with the SP as well.
Phoolan Devi herself previously served as a Lok Sabha member representing the Samajwadi Party. “This responsibility has been entrusted to Rukmani Nishad with the hope that it will infuse new energy and enthusiasm among the party’s female cadres,” Juhie Singh, national president of SP Mahila Sabha, said.
Party sources indicate that in her new role, Rukmani Nishad will work to mobilise the women’s wing across the state, raise awareness regarding women’s issues, and ensure that female cadres play a pivotal role in the preparations for the elections due next year. The decision is seen as an integral part of the strategy devised by Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, placing emphasis on giving greater representation to women and the backward classes.
