Dera Baba Nanak (Punjab): The long-pending election for the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Block Samiti in the border constituency of Dera Baba Nanak was successfully conducted on Tuesday under tight security arrangements, leading to a major political upset in the region.
The election process was carried out under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Aditya Uppal and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Aditya Sharma following directions from the High Court.
During the ballot paper voting, independent candidate Rajwinder Kaur — the aunt of jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria — registered a significant victory. Representing Zone 9 (Dargabad), Rajwinder Kaur secured 11 votes to win the Chairman’s post, defeating the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Resham Padda, who received only 8 votes despite support from local MLA Gurdeep Singh Randhawa.
For the Vice-Chairman position, AAP candidate Rajwant Kaur Dharowali won with 11 votes, defeating her party rival Rajveer Kaur, who secured 7 votes.
Rajwinder Kaur was brought under special arrangements from Central Jail Gurdaspur to cast her vote in the election. The defeat of the AAP’s Chairman candidate despite political backing has triggered fresh political discussions in the area.
Advocates Karanjit Singh and Rinku Badshah described the outcome as a victory for democracy and transparency. SDM Aditya Sharma confirmed that the entire election process concluded peacefully and that the official announcement of the newly elected representatives has been made.
The election result is being viewed as a significant political development in the border region ahead of future local governance activities.
