Punjab: Kharar’s first minister has a lot riding on her young shoulders

Sources in the AAP conceded that the party had to make a stiff call, choosing between Singh and Mann, but finally opted to go with the latter for her, deeming her to be a young and vocal leader.

Mann, who had won from Kharar by a margin of more than 36000 votes from her nearest rival, SAD’s Ranjit Singh Gill, promised to make her constituency ‘Number 1’ in the state by carrying out overall development.

Kharar, over the years, has remained notorious for its illegal sand mining and mafia in the past, a problem Mann had promised to tackle during her election campaign for the February Assembly elections.

Kharar has also been lagging in development, as compared to its neighbour Mohali, with its internal road network in shambles. The area also has a lack of civic amenities, a fact that people who had purchased properties in the town often complain about.

Derabassi MLA Kuljeet Singh Randhawa and Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh both welcomed the development and congratulated Mann on becoming a state minister.

Mann is the first minister from Kharar ever since the constituency was carved out of Morinda Assembly segment in 2012.

Mann’s father Jodha Singh Mann, too, thanked the AAP’s leadership for giving her a chance and said that his daughter’s hard work had paid off.

Speaking to The Indian Express, he said that he had full faith in his daughter and she shall keep her promise made to the people of her constituency and the state.