Deoria lass aims to win Miss India crown

She comes from a small town but thinks big. Her never-say-die attitude has put Deoria district’s Priyanka Singh among the top 21 finalists for the Miss India 2016 contest to be held in Mumbai on April 9.

The fact that she belongs to a middle class family has never stopped the 20-yearold woman from reaching for the stars. Her father is a transporter in Dubai and the family lives in Deoria.

The journey to the country’s top beauty pageant has not been easy for Priyanka, who is now an MBA Student at Jaipur National University, Jaipur.

She started out as a model at the college level but being overweight was a hurdle in her way. It was in 2014 that Priyanka started working to realise her dream during a fashion show in Jaipur. There, she came in con- tact with Asia’s top stylist Abhimanyu Tomar who spotted all the qualities needed in a top model in Priyanka. He suggested that she apply for the Femina Miss India contest.

Following the advice, she started working out and used home remedies to shed extra weight. Her hard work paid off when she won the campus princess title held last year at Jaipur National University and qualified subsequently for the final of the Miss India contest. She will represent Rajsathan in the pageant. Campus princess is a smaller beauty pageant through which college girls are selected for the Miss India contest. Speaking to HT over the phone from Mumbai, where she is currently undergoing training, she said: “My mentor Abhimanyu Tomar helped me prepare for the contest and guided me all the way.”

Asked how confident she was about winning the title, she said: “I can’t say anything right now as the other participants are far more experienced than me. Yet, I am trying my best.” Priyanka added she did her schooling in Deoria.