Savitri Thakur, tribal leader & Dhar MP sworn in as minister of state in Modi govt

A class 10 pass out, Thakur entered politics in 2003 after working for over a decade as a social worker where she helped tribal women to procure loans to become self-reliant

Published on: Jun 10, 2024, 09:29:30 IST

By Shruti Tomar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

46-year-old Savitri Thakur, who won from Dhar (Scheduled Tribe reserved) constituency in Madhya Pradesh in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, was sworn in on Sunday as a minister of state (MoS) in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

In the 2024 polls, she defeated the Congress’ Radheshyam Muvel by 2.18 lakh votes. (PIB Kerala)

Popularly known as ‘Didi’, Thakur defeated Congress candidate Radheshyam Muvel by 2,18,665 votes.

Early life

In 1996, she joined a voluntary organisation and worked as a coordinator for the upliftment of tribal and poor women in Dhar, Khargone and other areas.

A class 10 pass out, Thakur entered politics in 2003 after working for over a decade as a social worker where she helped tribal women to procure loans to become self-reliant and played a key role in prohibition of liquor.

Also Read: India reaffirms ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy at PM Modi’s swearing-in

Thakur is the first person in her family to enter politics. Thakur’s father was a retired state forest official while her husband is a farmer.

In 2003, she joined BJP and was elected as a district panchayat member.

In a year, she became the district panchayat president in 2004.

In 2014, Thakur was fielded from ST reserved Dhar seat which she won by over one lakh votes against Umang Singhar.

Singhar is leader of the opposition (LoP) in the state assembly.

In 2019, she didn’t get a ticket to contest but was fielded in 2023 as a BJP candidate. She won against Radheshyam Muvel, Congress candidate from Singhar.

Apart from electoral politics, Thakur worked on many posts at organisational level too. She became district vice president of BJP in 2010.

In 2013, she became the director of Krishi Upaj Mandi Dhamnod.

In 2017, she was also made the national vice president of BJP’s Kisan Morcha wing. Presently, she is national general secretary of Adivasi Mahila Vikas Parishad.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.