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Journalism of Courage
Narinder Kaur Bharaj (27), Sangrur, AAP
The scooty-riding law graduate, with total assets of Rs 24,400, made Cabinet minister Vijay Inder Singla bite dust trouncing him by over 36,000 votes in her maiden electoral outing. Bharaj had joined AAP as volunteer in 2014 and campaigned for Bhagwant Mann in the villages of Sangrur during the Lok Sabha polls that year. Going against the entire village, she had set up a booth for Mann in her village Bharaj. Contesting her maiden assembly polls, Bharaj was pitted against two crorepatis– Singla and BJP’s Arvind Khanna.
“I stood with AAP when no one else from my village was ready to do so. But slowly and steadily, the entire Punjab has stood with us. I am shocked that I managed to win an election with just a few thousands in my bank account. Wherever I used to go for campaign on my scooty, people who loved AAP would just hand me over Rs 11, Rs 1100, Rs 500 from their hard earned money…I don’t even know the people who got my posters and hoardings installed in Sangrur during campaigning. These people are my strength who have made me win. My opponents campaigned in swanky vehicles worth crores with a huge cavalcade and all I had two-wheelers following my scooty but I knew I was doing something right,” says Bharaj, known for her oratory skills.
Jeevan Jyot Kaur (50), Amritsar East, AAP
The giant slayer 50-year old from Amritsar has won the most keenly watched political battle of Punjab.
Locally popular as ‘PadWoman’, the law graduate defeated Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu from his seat. Sidhu was pitted against former SAD minister Bikram Singh Majithia. A loyal AAP volunteer since 2014, when the party was in infancy in Punjab, Jeevan Jyot runs an organization that helps rural, underprivileged women in having access to sanitary hygiene products and promotes reusable sanitary napkins to protect environment.
Rajinderpal Kaur Chhina (56), Ludhiana South, AAP
An old worker of AAP who later headed party’s women’s wing, Chhina in her first election, has defeated two-time MLA Balwinder Singh Bains of Lok Insaaf Party (LIP), by over 31,000 votes. Bains in fact finished fourth, getting fewer votes than BJP’s Satinderpal Singh Tajpuri and Congress’s Ishwarjot Cheema. She is a graduate.
Prof Baljinder Kaur (37), Talwandi Sabo, AAP
Former president of AAP’s women’s wing in Punjab and the national executive member of the party, Baljinder Kaur has been elected to the House for second consecutive time from Talwandi Sabo of Bathinda defeating Jeetmohinder Singh of SAD by over 15,000 votes. She is an M.Phil degree holder.
Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora (39), Moga, AAP
A graduate in medicine and surgery from Ukraine, Arora who ran her entire campaign portraying herself as ‘Mogey di doctor dhee’ (Doctor daughter of Moga), defeated Malvika Sood Sachar of Congress by over 20,000 votes. She had some extra work at her hands as Malvika’s campaign was fueled by her actor brother Sonu Sood’s popularity. But in her first election, Arora not only trounced Malvika but also Barjinder Singh Makhan Brar of SAD, son of veteran leader Tota Singh, and sitting Moga MLA Dr Harjot Kamal, who contested from BJP. She was also vice-president of party’s women’s wing.
Sarvjit Kaur Manuke (49), Jagraon, AAP
A postgraduate in economics, Manuke who was a schoolteacher before entering AAP, has been elected from Jagraon of Ludhiana for second consecutive time, defeating SR Kaler, a former bureaucrat and former SAD MLA, by over 39,000 votes. Interestingly, pitted against Manuke this time was also her former party colleague Raikot MLA Jagtar Singh Hissowal who switched to Congress and contested from Jagraon, but finished third. Manuke was also deputy leader of opposition in the House during Congress government.
Ganieve Kaur Majithia (46), Majitha, SAD
Making an unexpected entry into politics after her husband Bikram Singh Majithia was booked in a drug case and decided to contest from Amritsar East, she not only accepted the challenge but also took it head on. A homemaker and mother of two, she is now among the only three from Akali Dal who will enter the Vidhan Sabha as MLA. She defeated AAP’s Sukhjinder Raj Singh Lalli by over 26,000 votes and aims to work for women in her constituency. A graduate in economics, she has experience of working with an arts auction house for some years.
Aruna Chaudhary (64), Dina Nagar, INC
Despite Congress being reduced to just 18 seats and losing power in state, Aruna Chaudhary, a minister in the outgoing cabinet and two-time MLA from Dina Nagar of Gurdaspur managed to retain her seat, defeating Shamsher Singh of AAP by a thin margin of 1,377 votes only. This is her third consecutive win from Dina Nagar. She is a graduate.
Inderjit Kaur Mann, (53), Nakodar, AAP
In her maiden outing, she defeated two-time SAD MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala by just 2,800 votes from Nakodar of Jalandhar. A graduate, she was sarpanch of her village. Earlier she was also with Congress before switching to AAP.
Santosh Kumari Kataria (55), Balachaur, AAP
A home tutor who gives tuition to children, she has won from Balachaur of Nawanshahr after defeating sitting Congress MLA Darshan Lal and SAD’s Sunita Rani. She is the daughter-in-law of Ram Kishan Kataria, two-time MLA from Balachaur, who had won from Janata Party in 1977 and as an Independent in 1985. She also contested on Congress ticket from Balachaur in 2007 but lost.
Neena Mittal, (50), Rajpura, AAP
A salaried person with a job at a gas agency, she is an old AAP volunteer who later headed party’s women’s wing and remained the treasurer of AAP’s Punjab unit. She also unsuccessfully contested Lok Sabha polls from Patiala in 2019. A graduate, she has defeated two-time Congress MLA Hardial Singh Kamboj and Jagdish Kumar Jagga of BJP from Rajpura of Patiala.
Anmol Gagan Mann (31), Kharar, AAP
Contesting her first election, the Punjabi singer has defeated SAD’s Ranjit Singh Gill by more than 37,000 votes from Kharar of Mohali. Anmol’s campaign song for AAP ‘Bhagat Singh, Kartar Sarabha saare hi ban challe, bhai hun jaago aaiyaan, sarkaar badlan challey, bhai hun jaago aaiyaan’ was a huge hit during campaigning. She has studied till class 12 and had joined AAP in 2020.
Dr Baljit Kaur (46), Malout, AAP
An eye surgeon, she is the daughter of former AAP MP Prof Sadhu Singh. She had joined AAP this year ahead of Punjab polls after resigning from her government job at Muktsar Civil Hospital. She then forayed into social service and organized free eye check up camps for the underprivileged. In her first election, she has defeated Harpreet Singh of SAD by over 39,000 votes from Malout of Muktsar. Pitted against her was also Rupinder Kaur Ruby, former AAP MLA from Bathinda Rural who switched to Congress and has now finished third from Malout.
6 women winners in 2017
Baljinder Kaur — Talwandi Sabo (AAP)
Sarvjit Kaur Manuke- Jagraon (AAP)
Rupinder Kaur Ruby- Bathinda Rural (AAP)
Razia Sultana — Malerkotla (INC)
Satkar Kaur – Ferozepur Rural (INC)
Aruna Chaudhary — Dina Nagar (INC)
