Inderjit Kaur: Former School Principal Becomes Ludhiana's First Female Mayor

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Inderjit Kaur leader Inderjit Kaur, 37, representing Ward No. 13 from the East constituency, was appointed as the first woman mayor of Ludhiana on Monday, January 20. Rakesh Prashar was elected as the senior deputy mayor while Prince Johar was elected as deputy mayor in a tightly monitored election at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan, reports Hindustan Times.

AAP’s Inderjit Kaur will be the first woman Mayor of Ludhiana, Rakesh Parashar will be senior deputy mayor and Prince Johar will be deputy mayor.
Announced by CM Bhagwant Mann
A school principal, Inderjit Kaur has over a decade of experience in teaching @iepunjab @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/rIZjffA2Le

— Divya Goyal (@divya5521) January 20, 2025

From teacher to becoming first female mayor

Kaur, 37, served as a principal at a private school for over a decade. She holds a commerce degree, an MBA, and a BEd. Additionally, she is the women’s wing president of the AAP for the Ludhiana district. Surprisingly, she was also the principal of a private school for ten years before she resigned to contest for the Municipal Corporation elections.

Speaking to Indian Express, Kaur shared how she will incorporate her experiences as a teacher into the Corporation. "My priority would be to ensure discipline and punctuality among the municipal corporation (MC)  employees. It will be ensured that employees reach the office in time to avoid hassle for common people who visit offices for their work.”

Inderjit Kaur added, “Women’s safety will be another priority, and installation of CCTVs will be ensured. Cleaning of polluted stream Buddha Nullah will also be prioritised.” The mayor, along with her deputies, urged officials to streamline operations and ensure the smooth execution of public services. 

On the corporation's first meeting, the newly elected mayor said, “This is a collective effort. We will work closely with residents, councillors, and officials to achieve comprehensive development.” The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation elections were held on December 21. 

Good Step For Female Representation

The majority of India's youngest mayors happen to be women leaders. Aruna Asif Ali is widely credited to be the first female mayor of India post Independence, serving as the mayor of Delhi. 

According to UN Women, just 19 countries have a female Head of State, and 17 countries have a female Head of Government. There are only 15 countries in which women hold 50 per cent or more of the positions of Cabinet Ministers leading policy areas. A 1977 research shows how electing female mayors compared to men shows a strong difference in the policies implemented.