Patiala/Chandigarh, January 10
In a momentous achievement for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab, AAP MC Kundan Gogia has been unanimously elected as the Mayor of Patiala Municipal Corporation. Alongside him, Harinder Kohli has been elected as the Senior Deputy Mayor, while Jagdeep Jagga will serve as the Deputy Mayor.
AAP Punjab President Aman Arora, who was joined by Punjab Cabinet Ministers Dr. Balbir Singh, Barinder Goyal, MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, and newly elected councillors, congratulated the newly elected office bearers of Patiala Municipal Corporation.
Addressing the media, Aman Arora described the day as historic for Patiala, emphasizing the party's commitment to development under the visionary leadership of AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Arora highlighted that all three office-bearers were elected unanimously, reflecting the unity and dedication of AAP's councillors towards delivering transparent and effective governance. He commended the party's commitment to uplifting volunteers and giving them key responsibilities, stating, “When a dedicated volunteer like Kundan Gogia is entrusted with the leadership of a city like Patiala, it shows the faith AAP has in its grassroots members.”
AAP registered a landslide victory in the recent municipal corporation elections, winning 43 out of 53 seats in Patiala Municipal Corporation. Across Punjab, AAP emerged victorious in 522 out of 977 wards, setting a new benchmark for electoral success in local bodies. The party's opponents—Congress, BJP, and SAD—were confined to only 30% of the wards, while independent candidates secured around 15%.
Arora said that yesterday (Thursday) 8 Municipal Councils elected AAP candidates as President, Senior Vice President and Vice President. These councils included Cheema, Mallanwala, Narot Jaimal Singh, Ghanaur, Ghagga, Sanaur, Devi Garh and Makhu.
Aman Arora expressed confidence in AAP's leadership, noting that the new team will focus on delivering the party's promises of good governance and people-centric development. He added, “The responsibility of Patiala’s development is now in trusted hands. I am confident that under Mayor Kundan Gogia's leadership, Patiala will witness unprecedented growth and progress.”
AAP President Aman Arora reiterated the party's commitment to fulfilling the five guarantees outlined in its manifesto for Patiala: Ensuring 24/7 access to clean drinking water, Reducing pollution and improving public transport, Developing state-of-the-art parking facilities, Implementing modern waste management solutions and Revamping urban infrastructure and roads.
He assured the public that work on these promises would begin immediately, with the Punjab government fully supporting the corporation’s development initiatives.
Arora said, “The AAP family believes in working together for the people, unlike other political parties that focus on infighting. We will take everyone along, including councillors from other parties, to ensure holistic development of Patiala.”
He concluded the press conference by congratulating all Patiala residents on this new beginning and assured them that AAP’s transparent and development-oriented governance would transform the city in the coming years.