Aushgram’s giant slayer: Domestic help Kalita Maji swaps chores for public service

Kolkata: Kalita Maji, the BJP's newly-elected MLA from Aushgram who continued to work as a domestic help even after being named a candidate, announced on Thursday that she would no longer work in households as she now had "a bigger responsibility" towards the people of her constituency.Hours after taking oath as an MLA in the 18th Bengal Legislative Assembly, the 37-year-old said her focus would now entirely shift towards public service. "I have a bigger role now and I am confident I will be able to serve the public in the best way possible," Maji said. "The families where I used to work also told me to focus on my new responsibilities. But they are like my own family and I will continue to visit them," she added.Maji, who wore a saree gifted by one of her former employers during the oath-taking ceremony, emerged as one of the most talked-about faces of this election. Her story drew national attention after Union home minister Amit Shah cited her rise as a symbol of hope.Maji defeated Trinamool Congress candidate Shyama Prasanna Lohar by 12,535 votes in Aushgram. "I know the exact problems people in our constituency face because I have lived among them all my life," she said, adding: "There are issues related to education, water scarcity and electricity. I know what ordinary families go through every day and I will work accordingly."This was not Maji's first attempt at electoral politics. She contested the 2021 assembly polls as well, but lost. Even after the defeat, she continued working for the BJP while simultaneously managing her job as a domestic worker."I was unsure whether I was fit for politics because I had a large family to run and used to work in 7 households," she said. "But my father-in-law inspired me to continue political work seriously."During the early stages of campaigning this year, Maji continued working in two households before heading out for election meetings and door-to-door campaigns.Her employers described her as an integral part of their families. Platilal Patra, in whose home Maji worked for over two decades, said she was "like a daughter" to them. "She still insisted on coming to work every day after becoming a candidate. Finally, we had to ask her to stop and concentrate on campaigning."Another employer, Tapas De, described her as honest, dependable and hardworking.Maji, who never attended school and learnt to sign her name only after much effort, said she hoped her journey would inspire women from underprivileged backgrounds. "I wanted to show that a domestic worker can also become an MLA," she said.