Eeshna Gupta: The Gen Z Politician and a Member of CGAP Community Offering Alternative Politics to Delhi

Eeshna Gupta is a young political leader in India who contested the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) bypoll at the age of 24. She has a strong background in grassroots political work, having been involved in politics for many years before contesting. 

Eeshna has been a volunteer with Centre for Gender and Politics (CGAP) and has contributed to multiple projects, including the ‘Beyond Victims’ series that focuses on shifting the narrative around women in politics from victims to leaders and role models.

In this Worth Asking interview, Eeshna speaks candidly about her entry into politics, the challenge of being underestimated as a young woman candidate, the power of a localized approach in municipal politics, and her hope for a more gender-balanced and representative democracy in India.

You contested the MCD bypoll at 24, entering politics for the first time. Tell us about making the move and how you feel as a new entrant in the space. What are your career plans ahead?

Eeshna: This isn't my first experience in politics at the age of 24. The truth is I've been working in politics for many years; this is just the first time I've come into the limelight and had the opportunity to contest. When I contested, I carried with me years of understanding of what people truly need and expect from the person who represents them. Municipal politics in particular brings you closest to people's daily lives. Issues like sanitation, water, safety, and basic services are the focus. It has taught me to listen more, respond faster, and stay grounded in the realities of the community rather than getting lost in abstract debates.

Looking ahead, I don't see politics as a short-term experiment or a stepping stone. My focus will remain on working at the grassroots and building trust through consistent, transparent engagement, whether inside or outside elected office. My goal is to grow as a public servant and contribute meaningfully to a more responsive and inclusive political culture, especially for young people and women who don't often see themselves represented in politics.

How has your experience been so far? Given a lower share of candidates in early 20s, did you need a lot of navigating when it comes to age and gender, the common barriers people often face? 

Eeshna: Initially, my age and gender were often the first things people noticed. I’ve almost always been the youngest person in the room, and there were moments where my opinions were met with surprise rather than engagement. More often than not, I wasn't immediately perceived as a contributor. Women, especially young women, are frequently underestimated in traditional political spaces where leadership is still imagined in very narrow ways. There's an unspoken assumption that we don't yet know enough or haven't earned the right to take up space.

Initially, that underestimation can be discouraging, but instead of responding with defensiveness, I always chose to respond with consistency. I focused on showing up, being prepared, understanding issues on the ground, listening closely to residents, and delivering wherever possible. Over time, the questions shifted from how old I was to whether I could solve a problem or what I could bring to the table. I have come to see that being young is not a weakness but a distinct strength for me. It allows me to connect more naturally with students, first-time voters, and people who feel excluded from conventional politics.

My observation from this particular election was that people and voters are looking for something new that they can trust again. They want to trust something new because they're tired of the old and the archaic. As a Gen Z voice, I can offer that I am not tied to a certain style of doing politics. Here, being a young person becomes a strength. Women are more comfortable with me, young people can connect with me, and others are tired of what they are seeing for years. I would say that it is much more of a strength than a weakness.

As a woman myself, I do not see women as a subcategory of voters; we have the same needs and aspirations as anyone else. At the same time, I do recognise gender-specific concerns and the broader universal nuanced needs of women. When my age or gender affected how seriously I was taken, I always let my work speak louder than my perception. In politics, respect isn't handed out; it's built patiently through credibility, accountability, and action.

You’ve worked on "Beyond Victims" at CGAP. Are there any learnings you draw from your experiences working on women in politics to now, actually being a woman in politics?

Eeshna: Growing up in Delhi, like many other women, I carried an unconscious "antenna" that made me wary of everyone around me. Subconsciously, this awareness has shaped the realities of safety and societal expectations, which can make it hard to truly feel empowered because there's always this lingering sense of vulnerability and victimisation.

To turn the tables, I joined the "Beyond Victims" initiative as a volunteer. I was really struck by its refreshing approach, which was to shift the narrative from seeing women only as victims to recognising them as achievers and role models. While it's absolutely necessary to confront the systemic obstacles that women face, focusing solely on challenges can often be limiting. Highlighting success stories not only inspires but also challenges the societal mindset that underestimates women's capabilities, showing that change is possible and leadership is attainable.

South Asian politics often privileges legacy and networks. What has navigating the system without lineage taught you about who politics is designed for and who it leaves out?

Eeshna: What I've learned is that it is also possible for first-generation learners to carve out their own space with consistent efforts. Moving forward, I hope to see more first-generation youth, especially from marginalized communities, stepping up, claiming platforms, and creating spaces where their voices can be heard. The future of leadership shouldn't just belong to those with inheritance or connections; it should reflect the talent, courage, and vision of all.

That's why there is the need for representative democracy, which is rooted in the very idea that a government should reflect the diversity, experiences, and aspirations of the people it serves. In a country as large and diverse as India, it's not enough for power to stay concentrated in the hands of legacy holders and political lineages. Every community, region, gender, caste, religion, and generation needs to have a voice. It's high time.

Women in politics are often scrutinised differently. Have you ever felt any such differential treatment from voters, media, colleagues, friends, or family, and what has been your response?

Eeshna: Of course, it has been different, but different always doesn't mean bad; different means a chance to do something different apart from the norm. My womanhood or my identity doesn't detach me when I step into the world as a politician; it influences and supports how I understand the world. The struggles, the challenges, the norms imposed on us to fit into boxes—they are constant. It is very evident and a lived experience for all women that we are judged not just for what we do but for how we are expected to behave, how we look, and how we speak. But I genuinely feel that it is us who need to not give in, to define for ourselves what we can and cannot do, to set our own boundaries, and most importantly, to not give into societal ideas of what a woman should be in politics or in life.

The role of men, and of men as allies, is very important. What has meaningful male allyship looked like in your journey so far?

Eeshna: Male allyship is crucial, and more than that, mentorship is even more necessary. We need men in politics to step up to nurture young women leaders and help create safe and supportive spaces. Much of what I embody and the way I approach my work comes from older male politicians I found as allies and mentors. I've learned my value systems and ways of working from them, and to have good male politicians as role models has been a very meaningful aspect of my journey.

Many young women deeply care about politics but hesitate to enter it. What would you say to a young woman who wants to change but doesn't see politics as a viable career?

Eeshna: Politics today can be hostile, especially to young women, and pretending otherwise doesn't help anyone. The system isn't designed to welcome you. It often tests your resilience, your patience, and your credibility more harshly than it does others. If politics doesn't feel like a viable or a safe career path, that's not a personal failure in any way; it's a structural problem.

At the same time, real change doesn't happen without people who are willing to challenge those very structures. Politics doesn't have to mean fitting into an existing mold or committing to it for life. It can be one tool among many, alongside activism, social work, policy work, law, journalism, or grassroots organizing. Entering politics should be a conscious choice, not a romantic one. 

My advice would be to know the costs, understand the power dynamics, and build skills and support systems before stepping in. If you want change, you shouldn't feel pressured into entering politics just to prove your courage. But if you choose it, do so with clarity, because politics needs young women not as symbols but as prepared, critical, and uncompromising participants who know exactly what they're walking into.

Looking ahead, what gives you hope about the future of women's political leadership in India, and what still needs urgent rethinking or action?

Eeshna: I'd say what needs urgent thinking is the data before us. Global rankings, like the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index for 2025, have ranked India 131 out of 148 countries. When it comes to political empowerment, India recorded a decline. Indicators from the UN and IPU show India ranking 174 out of 181 countries for ministerial-level representation and approximately 145th globally for female representation in national parliaments. In the Lok Sabha, we see 13.6% representation, in the Rajya Sabha approximately 17%, and in legislative assemblies, the national average is around 9 to 10%. This is the reality; the sooner we face it, the more we'll be able to work on it.

However, what gives me hope is the work we have done previously. The positive impacts of reservations at the panchayat and municipal levels are an example to follow. India has become a global leader in grassroots women's empowerment, with approximately 1.45 million elected women representatives created over the past few years. This has enhanced women's confidence, challenged gender norms, increased political engagement, and created role models.

Research has also shown that women leaders prioritise public goods like water, health, and education, exhibit lower corruption, and drive social outcomes and redressal around gender-specific issues. Local-level successes strongly demonstrate that quotas can drive substantive change, providing a compelling rationale for extending reservations to both state assemblies and the parliament. This is how we can foster a gender-balanced democracy.

Credits

Interviewee: Eeshna Gupta

Interviewer: Riya Hira

Series: Worth Asking 2025-26

Editor: Sugandha Parmar

Design & Layout & Social Media Outreach: Riya Hira

Stay tuned for more Worth Asking Interviews.

This interview is a part of the Worth Asking Series 2025-26. The series aims to bring conversations with women in politics about politics as a career choice and with men politicians about their role as allies.

Check out the Beyond Victims initiative Eeshna talked about here. You can follow Eeshna’s work on Instagram here. 

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Read previous interviews in the Worth Asking Series,here.