{{Short description|Trinidadian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = | honorific_suffix = MP | image = | constituency_MP = Oropouche West | term_start = 2007 | term_end = 2010 | predecessor = ''constituency established'' | successor = Stacy Roopnarine | birth_date = | death_date = | death_place = | party = Patriotic Front (since 2019) | alma_mater = | other_party = United National Congress (until 2019) | father = Basdeo Panday | relatives = Subhas Panday (uncle)<br>Sam Boodram (uncle) }}
'''Shalini Mickela Panday'''<ref name = "Narcis-Scope 2025" >{{Cite book |last=Narcis-Scope |first=Fern |url=https://ebctt.com/wp-content/uploads/Notice-of-Taking-a-Poll-for-the-2025-Parliamentary-Elections.pdf |title=Notice of Taking a Poll – Listing of Candidates and Polling Stations for the 2025 Parliamentary Elections |date=2025-04-08 |publisher=Elections and Boundaries Commission |archive-date=23 April 2025 |access-date=19 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250423001127/https://ebctt.com/wp-content/uploads/Notice-of-Taking-a-Poll-for-the-2025-Parliamentary-Elections.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>{{rp|11}} is a Trinidad and Tobago attorney who is the leader of the Patriotic Front. She represented Oropouche West in the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tack |first=Clint Chan |date=2024-01-29 |title=Mickela Panday: 'I will continue Dad's legacy' |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2024/01/29/mickela-panday-i-will-continue-dads-legacy/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |language=en-US |archive-date=30 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130023635/https://newsday.co.tt/2024/01/29/mickela-panday-i-will-continue-dads-legacy/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Early life and education == Mickela Panday is of Indo-Trinidadian descent and is the daughter of former prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago Basdeo Panday and his wife Oma Panday.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-10 |title=Farewell, Papa |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/farewell-papa/article_b7dfc968-af55-11ee-994f-e7fad048216b.html |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Trinidad Express Newspapers |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez |first=Khamarie |date=2025-01-03 |title=Mickela: I will carry his torch |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/newsextra/mickela-i-will-carry-his-torch/article_196bdcc4-c9ab-11ef-83b6-8fec6631a808.html |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Trinidad Express Newspapers |language=en}}</ref> She completed her secondary education at Naparima Girls' High School and Naparima College in San Fernando.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Arima Public Library |date=2021-11-21 |title=Today we welcome Ms.Mickela Panday to our platform. |url=https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=428061865491261 |website=Facebook}}</ref>
Panday earned a bachelor of laws (LL.B.) and is a member of Gray’s Inn. She is a practicing attorney in Trinidad and Tobago.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mickela Panday • Bocas Lit Fest |url=https://www.bocaslitfest.com/participant/mickela-panday/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |language=en-GB}}</ref>
== Career == Panday successfully contested the 2007 general elections as the United National Congress–Alliance candidate for the newly-formed Oropouche West constituency.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2007-10-15 |title=UNC Alliance choose final 18 |url=https://archives.newsday.co.tt/2007/10/15/unc-alliance-choose-final-18/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |work=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ms. Mickela Panday |url=https://www.ttparliament.org/members/member/mickela-panday/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Parliament. Republic of Trinidad and Tobago |archive-date=21 June 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250621052248/https://www.ttparliament.org/members/member/mickela-panday/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
In the 2010 UNC leadership elections, Kamla Persad-Bissessar defeated Basdeo Panday to become the new leader of the party.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ramdass |first=Anna |date=2010-01-26 |title=Kamla: 13,932; Bas 1,359 votes |url=http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id%3D161587178 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100402002320/http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161587178 |archive-date=2 April 2010 |access-date=9 April 2010 |website=Trinidad and Tobago Express}}</ref> Panday was screened as a candidate for the 2010 general elections,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2010-04-27 |title=Mickela: Judge me on performance, not name |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/mickela-judge-me-on-performance-not-name/article_4c8597d7-3d87-567f-b9c3-6af80ebb1f73.html |work=Trinidad and Tobago Express |archive-date=29 April 2025 |access-date=20 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250429004910/https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/mickela-judge-me-on-performance-not-name/article_4c8597d7-3d87-567f-b9c3-6af80ebb1f73.html |url-status=live }}</ref> but neither she nor her uncle Subhas Panday (who was the incumbent member of Parliament for Princes Town) were selected by the party.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-05-02 |title=Pandays booted out |url=https://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/05/02/news/regional/pandays-booted-out/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |work=Stabroek News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2010-04-28 |title=Panday: Screening of daughter a 'sham' |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/panday-screening-of-daughter-a-sham/article_991942b7-ac3f-517f-b288-03c9f62cb48e.html |access-date=2025-04-20 |work=Trinidad and Tobago Express}}</ref> Panday felt "victimised" by the selection of Stacy Roopnarine to replace her in the Oropouche West seat, saying "I didn't know who she was".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ali |first=Ken |date=2010-05-02 |title=Mickela: I was victimised |url=https://www.guardian.co.tt/article-6.2.333703.a58e3a7bde |access-date=2025-04-20 |work=Trinidad and Tobago Guardian}}</ref>
Panday led a slate of candidates called the Next Generation to contest the UNC leadership elections in 2012,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-12-18 |title=Mickela, not Bas, to contest UNC poll |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/mickela-not-bas-to-contest-unc-poll/article_a74cfbe2-57cb-5d7e-a94f-3baca3cb015a.html |access-date=2025-04-20 |work=Trinidad and Tobago Express}}</ref> but found herself and most of her family members absent from a list of party members. Panday and her mother were present on a revised list issued shortly before the election but her father and one of her sisters was not.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-03-12 |title=Mickela's name back on UNC list...Bas' still missing |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/mickelas-name-back-on-unc-list/article_93b3297b-4325-5864-9342-9c93123a599d.html |work=Trinidad and Tobago Express}}</ref> After the Next Generation slate lost the party election, Panday raised questions about irregularities in the process,<ref name="Ragoonath-2012">{{Cite news |last=Ragoonath |first=Reshma |date=2012-04-02 |title=Mickela: Generation Next not leaving UNC |url=https://www.guardian.co.tt/article-6.2.419518.9da716e83f |access-date=2025-04-20 |work=Trinidad and Tobago Guardian}}</ref> and the eligibility of San Fernando mayor Marlene Coudray, who was elected deputy political leader,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2012-03-31 |title=Mickela: Disqualify Coudray if she was not UNC for 12 months |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/mickela-disqualify-coudray-if-she-was-not-unc-for-12-months/article_12def223-05b3-5082-8343-7a064b882daf.html |access-date=2025-04-20 |work=Trinidad and Tobago Express}}</ref> but said she and her group had no plans to leave the party.<ref name="Ragoonath-2012" />
In 2019, Panday launched the Patriotic Front.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 26, 2019 |title=Mickela Panday launches Patriotic Front |url=http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/mickela-panday-launchespatriotic-front-6.2.853758.709077a4f9 |accessdate=24 August 2019 |publisher=Trinidad and Tobago Guardian |archive-date=17 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717131632/http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/mickela-panday-launchespatriotic-front-6.2.853758.709077a4f9 |url-status=live }}</ref> The party did not contest the 2020 Trinidad and Tobago general election.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Khan |first=Rishard |date=2024-05-26 |title=[UPDATED] Mickela Panday to contest 2025 general election |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2024/05/25/updated-mickela-panday-to-contest-2025-general-election/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |language=en-US |archive-date=26 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526213747/https://newsday.co.tt/2024/05/25/updated-mickela-panday-to-contest-2025-general-election/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
She was the Patriotic Front candidate for Couva North in the 2025 Trinidad and Tobago general election.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-15 |title=Mickela laments state of 'neglected' Couva North |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/mickela-laments-state-of-neglected-couva-north/article_f32624cd-f4b8-4f09-9dd1-590ad6a53204.html |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Trinidad Express Newspapers |language=en |archive-date=15 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250415220306/https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/mickela-laments-state-of-neglected-couva-north/article_f32624cd-f4b8-4f09-9dd1-590ad6a53204.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This was the party's first election.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-29 |title=Tears for Panday |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/tears-for-panday/article_6a508e4d-1847-436e-bcae-ce89f042cc42.html |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=Trinidad Express Newspapers |language=en |archive-date=4 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250504161041/https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/tears-for-panday/article_6a508e4d-1847-436e-bcae-ce89f042cc42.html |url-status=live }}</ref> She was not elected and the party won no seats, but the Patriotic Front received the third highest number of votes out of any party, even beating out the elected Tobago People's Party.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-29 |title=Mickela: 'This is just the beginning' |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/newsextra/mickela-this-is-just-the-beginning/article_e5ca79df-a0e7-449f-a451-35983835caf3.html |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=Trinidad Express Newspapers |language=en}}</ref>
== Electoral history == {{2025 Trinidad and Tobago general election/Couva North}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.ttparliament.org/members/member/mickela-panday/ Page] at the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago
{{DEFAULTSORT:Panday, Mickela}} Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:21st-century Trinidad and Tobago politicians Category:21st-century Trinidad and Tobago women politicians Category:United National Congress politicians Category:Members of the House of Representatives (Trinidad and Tobago) Category:Political party founders Category:Leaders of political parties in Trinidad and Tobago Category:Trinidad and Tobago politicians of Indian descent Category:Children of prime ministers Category:21st-century Trinidad and Tobago lawyers Category:21st-century women lawyers Category:People educated at Naparima Girls' High School Category:People educated at Naparima College Category:Women founders