E-Paper
Punjab assembly elections: Meet Maniksha, sole transgender in fray from Mohali
Maniksha Mahant, 26, is the sole transgender contesting Punjab assembly elections from Mohali district. A graduate from PU, she has been fielded by Samaj Adhikar Kalyan Party from Mohali Urban seat
Maniksha Mahant, 26, is the sole transgender contesting the Punjab assembly elections from Mohali district.
A graduate from Panjab University, she has been fielded by the Samaj Adhikar Kalyan Party from Mohali Urban seat.
“I always wanted to contest the elections and do something for my community. I want to bring a change in society. I know it is challenging, but one day I will prove my point and create a legacy,” says Mahant, who is a resident of Tiruh village in Kharar.
The district comprises three assembly segments — Mohali Urban, Kharar and Dera Bassi — and will go the polls with the rest of Punjab on February 20. There are 40 candidates in the fray from across the district, including five women. Maniksha is the lone candidate belonging to third gender.
Fluent in English, she feels the social stigma attached to the third gender must be erased. “People from our community should be given educational facilities and reservation in government services,” she says.
Maniksha along with 12 others is campaigning in various parts of the Mohali Urban segment, promising people that once she is voted to power, she will bring a revolution in society. Not only door-to-door campaigning, she is also using social media to woo voters and sending messages through WhatsApp besides running a Facebook page.
“These days I am busy in campaigning. My day starts at 6 am and ends at 9 pm. Wherever I go, people give me a lot of respect and even touch my feet as there is a strong belief that I bring good luck to them,” she says.
In her affidavit, she has claimed to have assets worth ₹15 lakh, out of which gold accounts for ₹10 lakh.“If the electorate is to make an honest choice, they will definitely choose me,” she says.
