Leela Sahu(22) from Sidhi in Madhya Pradesh says she has no interest in politics. Yet she found herself in the crosshairs of the local BJP leadership when lack of basic infrastructure like a bad road appeared in her posts.
And she can only be ignored at the peril of the state government. After all, she has used her online presence gathering 22 lakh
followers on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook by raising local issues dissatisfaction which can tarnish the image of the government.
From 2022, she started making short-term content.Her initial field of attention were local fairs, travel and her family’s farming.But she drew the state government’s ire from2024 when Sahu started focussing on local issues.
To make matters worse for MP’s BJP government addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Sidhi MP, Rajesh Mishra. Things came to a head last year when she became pregnant and her family members met local politicians to build a road from their village.
She made a video highlighting the issue. Only a survey was done.
The rains came followed by the summer. Then again came the rains but no road was built and she made another video to focus on the issue.
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Leela Sahu and other residents of Khaddi Khurd village in Sidhi district have to get basic welfare after a 8-kilometre tractor ride. The road is often unpaved and broken.
Sidhi BJP MP Rajesh Mishra responded to Sahu’s video and courted controversy. He said that arrangements would be made for transportation a week before the due date for women who are about to deliver.
Every delivery has a due date, he is reported to have said. If she (Sahu) can get admitted early and arrangements would be made for her food and water, he further stated.
The road would be constructed in 17 months, Mishra said when the controversy snowballed. The proposal to. build the road was sent last year and has been accepted, he added.
A nine month pregnant Leela said that the issue does not concern her alone. She said that she will travel to Delhi after her delivery and meet Gadkari and urge him to build the road.
She now has 50 lakh followers making it clear that she has no political ambitions and does not want to be airlifted. She referred to lack of proper roads and no running tap water.
She has to walk a kilometre, if she wants to upload her video on Instagram. Her walk for this distance is to get a internet signal, she said.
