Until two years ago, 31-year-old Bhagyashree Chaudhary ran a small tea shop in Mathileshwar Bazaar, Mirchaiya Municipality-10, Siraha, serving tea with snacks like murahi, kachari, and vegetables. Today, she is a Member of the Provincial Assembly of Madhesh Province.
As a member of the Women’s and Children’s Committee in the Provincial Assembly and a lawmaker from the Janamat Party, Bhagyashree is now involved in formulating policies and laws related to women and children. In a society grappling with severe gender-based violence and high dropout rates among school-aged children, her responsibilities as a committee member carry significant weight.
In addition to being a parliamentary party whip for Janamat Party, she also assumes the responsibilities of the chief whip in their absence. Beyond the assembly, society looks up to her, and social transformation remains her primary agenda. “I raise the issues of people in my village, municipality, and region in the assembly and seek solutions. I also discuss development initiatives within the community,” Bhagyashree said, outlining her objectives.
Her journey from a tea seller supporting her family to becoming a lawmaker was driven by dedication and the passage of time. To understand her transformation, one must look back five years. In 2018, as the Madhesh Movement’s intensity was waning, CK Raut’s ‘Independent Madhesh Alliance’ evolved into the ‘Janamat Party.’
Marginalised communities, Dalits, and economically disadvantaged individuals in Madhesh found a new political platform in Raut’s party. Amid this political shift, Bhagyashree, who ran ‘Ayush Tea Shop’ in Mathileshwar Haat, gradually gravitated towards politics, encouraged by her husband.
“I used to overhear political discussions in my tea shop, but before I knew it, I had already become a part of politics,” Bhagyashree said. While she may have felt unaware of her transition, local political leaders had already recognised her as an activist.
The ‘Tea Seller’ in the Assembly
Bhagyashree’s tea shop had humble beginnings. In 1997, her in-laws, Dhanikalal Mandal and Ramodevi, started a small tea stall in Mathileshwar Haat, serving tea along with murahi, kachari, chaat, and samosas. With no other source of income, the ‘Ayush Tea Shop’ was the family’s sole means of survival.
“We got this space in 1997 and started running the shop in a thatched hut to raise our children. Later, my daughter-in-law took over,” Dhanikalal recalled. In 2009, Bhagyashree had an inter-caste marriage with Dhanikalal’s elder son, Nirmal. Even after marriage, the tea shop remained the family’s primary livelihood. When her mother-in-law passed away, Bhagyashree took full charge of the shop.
Over time, her husband Nirmal became involved in the ‘Independent Madhesh Alliance’ led by CK Raut, becoming actively engaged in the movement by 2017. He was arrested multiple times in Mirchaiya and Golbazar as state repression escalated. Whenever the police could not find Nirmal, they targeted Bhagyashree, subjecting her to threats and humiliation.
Gradually, the entire family became involved in politics. As their family grew with the birth of three children, sustaining them solely through the tea shop became difficult. In 2018, Nirmal left for Saudi Arabia for foreign employment but remained connected to the Madhesh movement, eventually becoming the president of the Non-Resident Madheshi Association. With the money he sent home, the family expanded their tea shop and acquired a small plot of land.
By the time Nirmal returned, two significant changes had taken place in Mathileshwar Bazaar. First, CK Raut had transitioned from separatist politics to mainstream politics, forming the Janamat Party. Second, Bhagyashree had emerged not just as a tea seller but as a well-known political activist of Janamat Party in the area.
From tea shop to lawmaking
As the 2022 parliamentary elections approached, the Janamat Party prepared to contest for the first time. Bhagyashree, who once listened to political discussions in her tea shop, had by then realised the importance of politics for the oppressed and underprivileged in Madhesh.
Recognising her dedication, Janamat Party’s president, CK Raut, included her in the proportional representation list under the Indigenous Nationalities category. She was ranked seventh among women candidates. When the results came in, seven female candidates from Janamat Party were elected—one of them was Bhagyashree.
Although many in her village remarked that ‘Bhagyashree’s fortune had shone,’ her rise to the provincial assembly was also a direct result of Nepal’s inclusive constitutional provisions. “I never imagined I would be in politics or become a lawmaker. Time gave me this opportunity,” she said.
Originally from Pipara, Surunga Municipality-8, Saptari, Bhagyashree studied up to grade 12. The only daughter in her family, she faced estrangement from her parents after marrying a poor Dhanuk man in an inter-caste love marriage. Over time, her mother and brother reconnected with her, though her father remained indifferent—until she became a provincial assembly member. “After my election, my father finally called to congratulate me,” she recalled.
An opportunity given by the constitution
On the morning of January 23, Bhagyashree was preparing to leave for Janakpur when she stood in front of her now-closed tea shop, which had been converted into a guest room. “This shop was shut down just before the elections,” she said.
She was heading to an important meeting with the Chief Minister. “Today’s discussion is about how to implement development plans in this region,” she explained.
Since becoming a lawmaker, her daily routine has changed. She prepares her speeches a day in advance, wakes up early for public engagements, and travels to Janakpur, 55 kilometers away, by either public transport or motorcycle with her husband or personal secretary.
Locals who witnessed her struggles say that, despite her new status, she remains unchanged. “She used to work hard in the tea shop all day. Now we see her speaking on TV, but her nature and behaviour are still the same,” said local resident Budhani Mandal.
In the assembly, Bhagyashree raises grassroots issues—irrigation canals, ponds, and women’s access to justice—rather than broad national debates. Even though she does not always get speaking time, she makes the most of zero hour and special sessions. “Special time is allocated based on party representation, so I only get to speak occasionally. But I utilise every opportunity I get,” she said.
Some issues she raises get resolved quickly, while others take time. “I repeatedly raise local issues in the assembly. Whether the government listens or not, I will continue to speak,” she affirmed.
Many locals still find her transformation remarkable. “She was once known as the ‘kachari seller,’ but now she is a lawmaker who mediates village disputes,” said Kavita Sada from Mathileshwar.
In her early days, Bhagyashree struggled to speak in the assembly, having previously only overheard political discussions in her tea shop. “At first, my heart would race, and I would forget what I wanted to say. It took me a year to learn how to speak during zero and special time,” she admitted.
“I once thought politics was just a numbers game, but now I realise it’s the primary tool for social and national transformation. Parliament is where people’s fate and future are determined,” she said. “Politics looks very different from the inside than it does from the outside.”
During field visits, people demand roads, drinking water, and irrigation, but Bhagyashree finds it challenging to explain that lawmakers primarily draft policies and laws. “Voters expect development, but I’ve realised our main role is lawmaking,” she said.
She believes people are now more politically aware. “Nowadays, voters are more informed than politicians. With smartphones and social media, they stay updated. Deceiving people is no longer easy.”
She also highlights gender discrimination in the assembly. “Women lawmakers are still not treated equally. Regardless of capability, they are given limited responsibilities based on gender,” she said.
Despite limited budget allocations for proportional representation MPs, she is determined to maximise opportunities. “The constitution gave me this chance, and I will make full use of it,” she asserted.
