Phulo Devi Netam

Phulo Devi Netam was born on 10 January 1972 in Aalor village, Kondagaon district (then part of undivided Madhya Pradesh, now in Chhattisgarh). She belongs to a tribal community and entered public life through grassroots and community engagement in the Bastar region before formally entering electoral politics.

Her early political career included local leadership roles, and she was elected as a Member of the then-undivided Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly from the Keshkal constituency in 1998. After Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000, she continued to serve in the first Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly following state formation.

Netam also held organisational responsibilities within the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee, rising to prominence within the party’s state structure. She was appointed President of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee in 2016, a role in which she focused on women’s issues and strengthening the party’s outreach in rural and tribal areas.

On 14 September 2020, she was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India’s Parliament, representing Chhattisgarh on an Indian National Congress ticket. Her unopposed election reflected the party’s strength in the state assembly at that time, and she has since been actively engaged in parliamentary debates, committee work, and national legislative affairs.

In 2026, the Congress renominated her for the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for 16 March, seeking a second consecutive term as part of its alliance strategy in Chhattisgarh.

As of 2026, she continues her role as a senior tribal leader and parliamentarian, balancing legislative responsibilities with organisational duties within the Congress party.