Seat of devotion: 2 women panchayat officials dedicate their chairs to Lord Ram in UP's Pratapgarh

Pratapgarh: In what they describe as their faith in Lord Ram, two women administrative officials in this Uttar Pradesh district have dedicated their chairs to the God and decided to run the administration in his name to ensure "Ram Rajya" Seema Devi (53), who heads the Gadwara nagar panchayat, and Shesha Devi (65), the Sadar block head -- feel that they won the elections with the god's blessings, so they have decided to dedicate theirs chair to him, according to their supporters.

After winning the elections, Seema Devi installed a statue of Lord Ram on her chair and organised the first meeting under "his" chairmanship on June 20 last year.

Talking to PTI, Seema Devi's representative, Sachin Singh Sholu, said she had it in her mind even before the election that if she emerges victorious in the contest, she will run the administration by installing Lord Ram on her chair and she did that after winning the polls in 2023.

On January 22, the day Ayodhya witnessed the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple, an 11-foot statue of Lord Ram was installed at the Shri Ram Square in the Gadwara nagar panchayat and a statue of Ram Lalla was installed in a Shiva temple, he said.

Sholu said the statue of Lord Ram has been installed on the chairperson's chair and the administration is being run under "his" chairmanship.

Seema Devi sits next to the chair of Lord Ram and the administration is run with the vision of "Ram Rajya".

A similar decision has been taken by Shesha Devi, the head of the Sadar block.

Her son, Goldy, said his mother has dedicated her chair to Lord Ram.

"She won the election with his blessings and decided that her chair will be dedicated to Lord Shri Ram and she will do her regular work sitting on a chair next to him," he said.

"My mother had taken a pledge that if she wins the election, she will dedicate her chair to Lord Shri Ram. After winning the election, she fulfilled what she said. She worships Lord Ram daily in her office and is running the administration with the vision of Ram Rajya," he added.