Krishna Sahi

Krishna Shahi (born 16 February 1931) is a Congress politician from Bihar and a former union minister.

Krishna Sahi
Minister of State, Government of India
In office 12 May 1986 – 2 December 1989
Prime Minister	Rajiv Gandhi
Portfolios	Human Resource Development (1986–1988, 1989) Water Resources (1988–1989)
In office 2 July 1992 – 16 May 1996
Prime Minister	P. V. Narasimha Rao
Portfolios	Industry (1992–1995) Heavy Industries (1993–1995) Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (1995–1996)
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha for Begusarai
In office 1980–1989
Preceded by	Shyam Nandan Mishra
Succeeded by	Lalit Vijay Singh
In office 1991–1996
Preceded by	Lalit Vijay Singh
Succeeded by	Ramendra Kumar
Member, Bihar Legislative Assembly
In office 1972–1980
Constituency	Mokama
Personal details
Born	(1931-02-16) 16 February 1931 Begusarai, Bihar, India
Citizenship	India
Party	Indian National Congress
Spouse	Late B.P.N. Sahi
Children	1
Parent	Late Mahesh Prasad Sinha
Alma mater	Patna University (B.A. (Hons)) Bihar University (B.L.)
Profession	Advocate, Politician, Social worker

Early life and education

Krishna Sahi was born on 16 February 1931 in Begusarai, Bihar. She was the daughter of Mahesh Prasad Sinha and completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at Patna University, followed by a Bachelor of Laws (B.L.) from Bihar University.

Political career

State politics

Sahi entered public life in the early 1970s, winning election to the Bihar Legislative Assembly from the Mokama constituency in 1972. She was re-elected in 1977, serving until 1980, during which time she focused on rural development and women’s education initiatives in Begusarai district.

Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha)

Sahi was first elected to the 7th Lok Sabha in the 1980 general election from Begusarai, defeating Shyam Nandan Mishra of the Janata Party with 272,234 votes (60.14%). She retained the seat in the 1984 election with 387,165 votes (73.35%),[a] but was unseated in 1989 by Janata Dal’s Lalit Vijay Singh. Returning to Parliament in 1991, she served a second stint through the 10th Lok Sabha, winning 343,050 votes (51.30%).

Ministerial roles

During her first parliamentary term, Sahi was appointed Minister of State in the Government of India under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, serving in the Ministry of Human Resource Development (1986–1988), Water Resources (1988–1989), and later in the Ministry of Industry (1992–1995) and Heavy Industries (1993–1995) under Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao. She also held the portfolio of Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (1995–1996).

Personal life

Sahi was married to B.P.N. Sahi and they had one child. Professionally trained as an advocate, she combined her legal background with a career in public service, advocating for women’s rights and rural welfare throughout her tenure.

Social work and legacy

Beyond her legislative duties, Sahi was known for championing adult literacy programs and potable water schemes in rural Bihar. Post-retirement, she remained active in social welfare organizations, mentoring young women to enter public service and law.