Maharashtra Election: Meet Shameebha Patil, the lone transgender candidate — ‘My gender is being targeted’

Shameebha Bhanudas Patil is the lone transgender candidate in the Maharashtra Assembly Elections. The 39-year-old candidate has been fielded by the Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) in the Raver assembly constituency.

Raver is the major banana cultivation region in the Jalgaon district, currently held by Congress leader Shirish Chaudhary.

Meet Shameebha Bhanudas Patil

Shameebha Patil has been a member of the Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) since 2019. She holds a post-graduate degree in Marathi literature from Kaviyitri Bahinabai Choudhri UttarMaharashtra University Jalgaon, and has been a social worker since 2007.

She is also a guest faculty member at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Tuljapur, and remains deeply committed to advocating for the rights of the transgender community.

A social worker

Patil has been a passionate advocate for the rights of transgender people, tribals, and marginalised communities in the region. According to PTI, Patil is currently the coordinator of the State Transgender Rights Committee.

She has long been involved in advocating for the rights of tribals as well as securing scholarships for Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) students.

A political leader

Patil said politics is the only way to bring about substantial improvements in the lives of marginalised communities. "For the first time in Maharashtra's history, a transgender person has been given a ticket to contest elections," she said.

"My candidacy will help change society's attitude towards transgenders, as it gives me a platform to speak on their behalf and advocate for their rights," Patil was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.

"As an active worker of the VBA and a full-time social worker, I had sought a ticket for 2019 polls from the VBA, but failed to secure nomination, perhaps because I was a political novice," Patil said.

"I learned the ropes over the years and managed the campaign for VBA's Lok Sabha elections earlier this year as the Jalgaon district president of VBA," said Patil.

She said Prakash Ambedkar was impressed by her work and selected her to represent the Raver constituency in the Maharashtra Election.

'If elected...'

Patil said that regardless of the election outcome, she will continue to fight for the 1 percent horizontal reservation for the transgender community so they can live with dignity. "If elected, I will have the opportunity to work on these issues directly," Patil added.

‘My gender is being targeted’

Patil claimed patriarchal challenges due to her gender in the poll campaign. "My gender is being targeted by certain elements who bring gender bias into the campaign. But I remain undeterred and focused on my goal," she said.

Patil's assets

Patil declared assets worth ₹2.73 lakh in an affidivit filed in the Maharashtra elections.