How a political novice flattened two giants in high-stakes Amritsar East battle
A social worker before she took the political plunge in 2015, Jeevan Jyot Kaur, 50, was popularly known as the padwoman of Punjab due to her extensive work in the field of women’s health through her NGO — SHE Society. She trumped Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu and former Akali minister Bikram Singh Majithia
Since two heavyweights -- Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu and former Akali minister Bikram Singh Majithia -- were face-to-face in Amritsar East, everyone assumed it was a two-cornered contest between two mighty politicians. No one thought a third player, Jeevan Jyot Kaur, a low-profile Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and a greenhorn, could topple two giants with such a huge margin.
A social worker before she took the political plunge in 2015, Jeevan Jyot Kaur, 50, was popularly known as the padwoman of Punjab due to her extensive work in the field of women’s health through her NGO — SHE Society.
She started off as an AAP volunteer and during the 2017 elections, she served as the party’s campaign in-charge in Majitha constituency. Later, she was appointed as the co-convener of the party’s state women wing. Currently, she is working as the district president of Amritsar.
Despite no previous experience of contesting an election, Kaur, a law graduate, was confident of causing a big political upset. She banked on door-to-door campaigning and small gatherings, while her more headline-grabbing opponents were trying to woo voters by running flashy campaigns. Not many joined the road rallies taken out by her. The entire constituency remained defaced with posters and banners of two bigwigs, but her presence was rarely visible. However, there has been an undercurrent in favour of the AAP, going by the result.
Despite being given little attention by all, she kept following the adage ‘slow and steady wins the race’. During the campaign, she earned the image as “common woman” who raises the common concerns of constituency residents, besides striking a chord with them. She also released ‘Sankalp Pattar’, her vision for the constituency.
