Basanta Manjari Devi


Basanta Manjari Devi was an Indian politician who served as the first woman minister of Odisha. She was the Deputy Minister of Health in the 1952 Nabakrushna Chaudhury government.

Early life and family

Devi was born into the royal family of Nilgiri State. Her father was Shyama Chandra Bhanja Mardaraj Harichandan. She was married to Biranchi Narayan Singh Deo or Ranapur State. In the 1952 general election she was elected from Ranpur constituency as an Indian National Congress candidate. She was a Minister of Health, Relief and Rehabilitation in the 1957 Harekrushna Mahtab ministry.