Nitin Gadkari, Mansukh Mandaviya among most chivalrous MPs, say three first time women MPs

In a rare moment of camaraderie cutting across party lines, three first-time women Members of Parliament shared their thoughts on who they considered the most gentlemanly figure in the 18th Lok Sabha, and their choices offered a revealing insight into the changing norms of political conduct.

Speaking at the India Today Women Summit 2025 in Delhi on July 31,  during a panel discussion titled “The Future is Female: Rewriting Rules, Reimagining Politics”, the newly elected MPs — Shambhavi Choudhary of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) from Samastipur, Iqra Hasan of the Samajwadi Party from Kairana, and Saayoni Ghosh of the Trinamool Congress from Jadavpur — named Union Ministers and senior parliamentarians who, in their experience, exemplify grace, respect and dignity in the country’s highest lawmaking body.

Iqra Hasan, the youngest Muslim MP in the current Lok Sabha, named TDP MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu as her pick, citing his respectful and measured interactions both inside and outside the House. “He listens carefully and speaks with decency, which is rare and admirable,” she said.

Saayoni Ghosh, an actor-turned-politician representing the TMC, chose Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, describing him as someone who remains approachable, respectful, and willing to engage across ideological divides. “He is someone who speaks to you with civility, regardless of which party you come from,” Ghosh noted.

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Shambhavi Choudhary, who hails from a prominent political family in Bihar and represents the LJP (RV), named Union Minister of Labour and Employment, Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya. She praised him for being “calm, accessible and encouraging,” especially to younger women members navigating the complex world of parliamentary politics.

While the moment evoked laughter and light-heartedness in the audience, it also offered a glimpse into how young women MPs are consciously observing and defining the behavioural standards they value in their male colleagues. 

None of them picked MPs from their own party as they were asked to name leaders from other parties.

The panel discussion was part of a larger dialogue on women’s growing presence in Indian politics and the need to reshape the culture of governance through inclusivity, empathy and professionalism.

As Parliament witnesses a generational shift with young, educated women entering its ranks, such exchanges signal a possible change in the tone and tenor of political engagement. In a time often marked by sharp partisan divides and heated rhetoric, these MPs’ choices highlighted the virtues of humility, grace and mutual respect, qualities increasingly appreciated across the political spectrum.