Year End 2025: 5 women leaders who dominated India’s political scene – In Pics

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Two crucial state elections in 2025—Delhi in February and Bihar in November—were won by the BJP-led NDA. Women voters proved to be crucial; in Delhi, female turnout reached a record 60.9%, topping men for the first time, and in Bihar, it reached 59.2%, surpassing male voters once more and largely responsible for the NDA's enormous 202-seat majority. While total representation remained low, a number of women not only won but also took center stage: three women were appointed to Nitish Kumar's cabinet, Delhi elected its first female chief minister, and Bihar elected its youngest-ever MLA at the age of 25.

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Rekha Gupta- The BJP gained 48 seats in the assembly elections on February 5, making Rekha Gupta, 51, Delhi's first female chief minister. By almost 30,000 votes, she won the Shalimar Bagh seat. She started her political career with ABVP in 1992 after graduating from Delhi University with a law degree and working for the RSS for more than thirty years. In the November 30 MCD bypolls, the BJP also won the Shalimar Bagh B ward, which Gupta had previously represented, by a margin of more than 10,000 votes, the largest of the 12 wards.

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Shreyasi Singh- In Bihar, Shreyasi Singh, 34, successfully retained the Jamui seat for the BJP by a margin of 54,498 votes in the November elections that returned the NDA to power with 202 seats. An Arjuna Award-winning shooter and daughter of former Union Minister Digvijay Singh and ex-MP Putul Kumari, she began her political career in 2020. On November 20, Singh was appointed as a cabinet minister, taking charge of youth affairs and pledging to establish 50 rural training centers along with enhanced sports infrastructure.

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Atishi Marlena- The sole significant victory for the AAP in the Delhi assembly elections was 43-year-old Atishi Marlena, who won the Kalkaji seat by 3,521 votes. She is noted with implementing educational changes that increased enrollment by 20%. She was a previous minister of education and temporarily held the position of acting chief minister in 2024. Even though the AAP only won three seats, her second victory from Kalkaji demonstrated her work on infrastructure and health. The AAP overwhelmingly chose her to be the Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly after she won the 2025 Assembly elections.

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Maithili Thakur- After winning the Alinagar seat for the BJP by 8,245 votes, 25-year-old Maithili Thakur became Bihar's youngest MLA. A classical folk singer with training in Indian music, she oversaw a youth-oriented campaign that combined viral songs with cultural outreach. She has promised to support the NDA's Maiya Samman program, which has helped two crore women, as well as artist welfare initiatives and scholarships for girls.

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Rekha Paswan- Rekha Paswan, a member of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), contributed to her party's impressive 65 percent strike rate in Bihar by winning the Saran seat by 14,789. During her campaign, Paswan—who is well-known for her anti-corruption efforts—exposed regional frauds. Her victory improved the LJP's position among important Dalit communities.