Pooja Wadhwa secured 29 votes, including 28 from BJP councillors and one from Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar. (Special Arrangement, enhanced with AI)BJP’s Pooja Wadhwa was elected Abohar’s first woman Mayor on Tuesday, defeating the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the election to the 50-member Municipal Corporation. Dharamveer Malkat and Deepak Chhapola were elected senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, respectively.Wadhwa secured 29 votes, including 28 from BJP councillors and one from Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar.In the 50-member House, the BJP has 28 councillors, AAP 20, while the Congress and an Independent have one councillor each.The mayoral election had earlier been deferred on July 9 following high political drama, with both the BJP and AAP staking claim to the post.Sandeep Jakhar, nephew of former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar, was elected as the Abohar MLA on a Congress ticket in the 2022 Assembly elections but was suspended by the party in 2023 for alleged anti-party activities. Following Sunil Jakhar’s move to the BJP, Sandeep has also aligned with the saffron party.Reacting to the result, Sunil Jakhar said the victory belonged to BJP workers and reflected the people’s faith in democracy. “The people of Abohar have sent a message to the entire Punjab that there is no place for criminal elements in the state’s politics,” he said.Alleging that the AAP government had “lost the people’s trust”, Jakhar claimed its leaders had been forced to induct “undesirable elements” into the party to win elections. “Punjab has never accepted such politics and will not accept it in future,” he said.Story continues below this adHe also accused the Punjab government of encouraging the criminalisation of politics. “The government had promised to eliminate gangsters, but instead it is promoting criminalisation by admitting undesirable elements into the AAP,” he alleged.Jakhar said the BJP had chosen a woman as Abohar Mayor in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of women’s empowerment, adding that Wadhwa’s family had been associated with public service for years.Describing the result as a victory for the people of Abohar, Jakhar said it would strengthen the BJP’s prospects in Punjab. “This victory lays the foundation for the BJP to form the next government in the state. We are confident of winning the next Assembly elections and providing good governance in accordance with the wishes of the people,” he said.Divya Goyal is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Ludhiana (Punjab). She is widely recognized for her human-interest storytelling and in-depth investigative reporting on social and political issues in the region. Professional Profile Experience: With over 13 years in journalism, she joined The Indian Express in 2012. She previously worked with Hindustan Times. Education: A gold medalist in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. Core Beats: She covers a diverse range of subjects, including gender issues, education, the Sikh diaspora, heritage, and the legacy of the Partition. She has also reported on minority communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Awards and Recognition Divya has earned significant acclaim for her sensitivity toward gender and social disparities: Laadli Media Award (2020): For her investigative report "Punjab: The Invisible Drug Addicts," which exposed the gender disparity in treating women addicts. Laadli Media Award (2023): For a ground report on the struggles of two girls who had to ride a boat to reach their school in a border village of Punjab. Signature Style Divya is known for "humanizing the news." Rather than just reporting on policy, she often focuses on the individuals affected by it—such as students dealing with exam stress, farmers struggling with diversification, or families impacted by crime. Her work often bridges the gap between West (Pakistan) and East (India) Punjab, exploring shared heritage and common struggles. X (Twitter): @DivyaGoyal_ ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on InstagramTags:ludhiana