Bobi Kinnar, the AAP leader and the only transgender candidate to contest in the MCD Elections 2022, has won from the Sultanpuri-A ward. Bobi defeated Congress candidate Varuna Dhaka by 6,714 votes, the State Election Commission announced today. This was the first time that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had a transgender candidate. Contesting from the Sultanpuri-A ward, which is replete with open drains and potholes, Bobi said that she would focus on cleanliness and beautification in the area.
Bobi is not new to politics and contested the MCD elections in 2017 as an independent candidate. She had lost to AAP’s Sanjeev Kumar.
Fondly called ‘Bobi darling’ by the residents of Sultanpur Majra, the AAP leader did not have a smooth ride in her quest for political representation.
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Who is Bobi Kinnar?
Bobi was born and raised in the Sultanpur area. As a child, Bobi was bullied and harassed at school and in her neighbourhood. She was given away by her family to a guru from the transgender community at the age of 14-15 years.
“I faced insults all my life, but it never stopped me from dreaming that transgender people like me will get value and respect in society one day,” Indian Express quoted the 38-year-old as saying.
Bobi is still in touch with her mother who raised her and her younger sibling by working odd jobs after her father’s death. She spends time with her mother once a month.
Social work
After being taken in by the guru, Bobi was given shelter among other transgender people. She used to dance and sing at weddings and birthdays. At the age of 21-22, Bobi joined an NGO and learned to read and write. She then started working as a social worker, helping underprivileged children and transgender persons. Bobi holds the position of president of the Delhi unit of the Hindu Yuva Samaj Ekta Awam Anti-Terrorism Committee.
Members of the transgender community in the Sultanpur area donate a substantial amount of their earnings to charity. Bobi has been using this money to help women in bad marriages, build small shops for those who don’t have any money and also provide monthly ration to the poor, The Patriot quoted Noor Hasan, a resident of the area and an AAP party worker, as saying.
Political journey
Bobi has been associated with AAP since the Anna Hazare movement days of 2011. She has known Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal since then.
“I participated in the Anna movement and met Arvind Kejriwal ji. I was inspired by their thoughts and ideas of change and development,” Indian Express quoted Bobi Kinnar as saying.
In a recent rally of Congress candidate Varuna Dhaka, a party worker said AAP had fielded a ‘dhol peetne wali candidate’. Surprisingly, objectionable comments about Bobi were made in the presence of Varuna.
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“The candidate that Congress has fielded is a well-qualified candidate with a political background and
Reacting to the comments, Bobi said that those who knew her in the area were aware that she is not a thief.
According to AAP party worker Ramesh Kumar, Bobi was chosen as a candidate for the party after conducting a proper survey that decided whether she was fit for the post.
Now as a representative, Bobi plans to beautify her constituency and improve the lives of her neighbours, the news agency PTI reported.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
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