Dansari Anasuya (born 9 July 1971), commonly known as Seethakka, is an Indian politician currently serving as a cabinet minister for Panchayati Raj & Rural Development, Rural Water Supply, Women and Child Welfare in Government of Telangana. She represents Mulug assembly constituency in the Telangana legislative assembly. She won the 2009 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Election and Telangana Legislative Assembly elections in 2018 and 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/elections/telangana/mulug-mla-results|title=MULUG Election Result 2018, Winner, MULUG MLA, Telangana|website=NDTV.com|language=en|access-date=2019-10-24}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.elections.in/telangana/assembly-constituencies/mulug.html|title=Mulug Election Result 2018 Live Updates: Candidate List, Winner, Runner-up MLA List|website=www.elections.in|access-date=2019-10-24}}{{Cite web|url=https://telanganalegislature.org.in/web/legislative-assembly/members-information?p_auth=nG66P09F&p_p_id=AssemblyMemberInfo_WAR_TGportlet&p_p_lifecycle=1&p_p_state=normal&p_p_mode=view&p_p_col_id=column-1&p_p_col_count=1&_AssemblyMemberInfo_WAR_TGportlet_javax.portlet.action=getMemberDetails&_AssemblyMemberInfo_WAR_TGportlet_const_id=109&_AssemblyMemberInfo_WAR_TGportlet_mem_id=3450|title=Member's Profile - Telangana-Legislature|website=telanganalegislature.org.in|access-date=2019-10-24}} She was appointed general secretary of All India Mahila Congress in June 2018{{cite news | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amaravati/seethakka-andhra-pradesh-mahila-congress-in-charge/articleshow/64476551.cms | title=Seethakka Andhra Pradesh Mahila Congress in-charge | date=6 June 2018 | newspaper=The Times of India | accessdate=11 November 2019 }} and in August 2019 became state in-charge of Chhattisgarh Mahila Congress.{{Cite web|url=https://www.shethepeople.tv/news/mahila-congress-state-incharge|title=All India Mahila Congress Appoints Six Women In-charge Of Five States|last=Gupta|first=Poorvi|date=2019-08-28|website=SheThePeople TV|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-24}} She is sometimes referred to as 'Iron Lady of Telangana'.{{Cite web |last=Ceremila |first=Anudeep |date=2021-03-08 |title=Times have changed but not our attitude to women: Seethakka |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/360-degree/080321/times-have-changed-but-not-our-attitude-to-women-seethakka.html |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=Deccan Chronicle}}

Early life and background

She was born to Adivasi Koya tribe family in Jaggannapet village. Anasuya was a Naxalite before joining politics. She joined the Janashakti Naxal group when she was 14 years old in 1987. She was later disillusioned with the movement and exited it after an eleven-year stint. She surrendered to the police under the general amnesty plan in 1997. She then pursued her studies and became a lawyer. In 2022, she completed her Ph.D. in political science from Osmania University.{{Cite news |last=Jeremiah |first=M. Enosh |title=Seethakka quits Dalam to join Desam |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/seethakka-quits-dalam-to-join-desam/articleshow/621671.cms |access-date=2022-10-15}}{{Cite web |date=2020-05-05 |title=Telangana's Seethakka: Naxalite turned legislator's gallant mission to serve deprived during lockdown |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/telanganas-seethakka-naxalite-turned-legislators-gallant-mission-to-serve-deprived-during-lockdown-833840.html |access-date=2022-10-15 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}SADAM, RISHIKA (27 October 2022). "From Naxalite to lawyer to MLA, now with PhD: Meet Seethakka, Congress 'phenomenon' in Telangana". The Print. Retrieved 9 December 2023. She married Kunja Ramu , he also led guerilla warfare under Adivasi Liberation Tigers organisation, he had died in encounter , his stupam was at Mokalapally, every year they celebrate and conduct various game tournaments.

Political career

Anasuya first entered politics in 2004 when she joined the Telugu Desam Party and contested unsuccessfully from Mulug.{{Cite web |last=Service |first=Indo-Asian News |date=2022-10-11 |title=Once a gun-wielding Maoist, tribal MLA from Telangana gets PhD |url=https://www.siasat.com/once-a-gun-wielding-maoist-tribal-mla-from-telangana-gets-phd-2431706/ |access-date=2022-10-15 |website=The Siasat Daily |language=en-US}} She contested from it again in 2009, winning the constituency, and defeating Congress candidate Podem Veeriah by a huge margin. She lost the constituency in 2014 to BRS candidate Azmeera Chandulal.

In 2017, Anasuya left the TDP and joined the Congress, soon becoming general secretary of All India Mahila Congress and later state in-charge for Chhattisgarh Mahila Congress. She won the elections for Mulug constituency in 2018 and 2023 as a Congress candidate.{{Cite news |date=2017-10-31 |title=Sitakka joins Congress |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/sitakka-joins-congress/article19957912.ece |access-date=2022-10-15 |issn=0971-751X}}

On 7 December 2023, she took oath as a cabinet minister in Telangana.

Currently, Seethakka is serving as a cabinet minister for Panchayat Raj & Rural Development, Rural Water Supply, Women and Child Welfare in Government of Telangana from 7th December 2023.{{cite news |last1=The Hindu |first1= |date=9 December 2023 |title=Portfolios allocated to Ministers in the new Telangana Cabinet |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/full-list-of-telangana-cabinet-and-council-of-ministers/article67620817.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240121123943/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/full-list-of-telangana-cabinet-and-council-of-ministers/article67620817.ece |archive-date=21 January 2024 |access-date=21 January 2024 |language=en-IN}}{{cite news |last1=India Today |date=9 December 2023 |title=Revanth Reddy assigns portfolios to 11 ministers in Telangana Cabinet: Full list |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/revanth-reddy-portfolios-11-ministers-telangana-cabinet-keeps-law-order-general-administration-full-list-2474051-2023-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240121125317/https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/revanth-reddy-portfolios-11-ministers-telangana-cabinet-keeps-law-order-general-administration-full-list-2474051-2023-12-09 |archive-date=21 January 2024 |access-date=21 January 2024 |language=en}}

Relief in lockdown

Anasuya had visited over 400 villages near the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border in 2020 during lockdown, providing relief to locals, distributing rice, dal etc., commodities and masks to people in need. Her efforts received tremendous support on social media, “I am doing this as my duty towards my people, for my own satisfaction,” said Anasuya. “There is no support from the TRS government. I could do all this because of donations and support of like-minded individuals.”{{Cite web |date=2020-05-05 |title=Telangana's Seethakka: Naxalite turned legislator's gallant mission to serve deprived during lockdown |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/telanganas-seethakka-naxalite-turned-legislators-gallant-mission-to-serve-deprived-during-lockdown-833840.html |access-date=2022-10-15 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}

References

Category:Women members of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly

Category:1971 births

Category:Living people

Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Telangana

Category:Former members of Telugu Desam Party

Category:All India Mahila Congress

Category:Andhra Pradesh MLAs 2009–2014

Category:Telangana MLAs 2018–2023

Category:21st-century Indian women politicians

Category:State cabinet ministers of Telangana

Category:Telangana MLAs 2023–2028

Category:Women members of the Telangana Legislative Assembly