Drawing inspiration from PM Modi, tea-seller becomes village head

AGRA: Pooja Kumari, who sells tea at the Kasganj railway station, has succeeded in becoming the pradhan of her village. She says she is inspired by the PM and wants to bring change to her remote village of Patiylai.

Speaking with TOI, the mother of two, said, “Let alone winning, just contesting the election was a big deal for me and my family. After having come to know of PM Modi’s struggle as a youth, my husband motivated me to follow his path and encouraged me to jump into the fray.”

What makes her win even more special for her village is the fact that somebody from her village has been chosen to lead a cluster of 16 villages, all of which come under a single the panchayat, after 65 years.

A graduate with a BEd degree, Pooja said, “For ages, my in-laws have been involved in selling tea. After marriage, I too joined my husband in selling tea at Patiyali railway station. None of my ancestors had any political background, but more than 4,500 voters of 16 villages voted for me.”

Listing her priorities, Pooja said, “There are many villages in our panchayat region where there are no schools for children, especially for girls. I will move mountains to ensure that there are schools and other facilities in all the 16 villages.”

Pooja’s husband, Munish Kumar, told TOI, “I failed in my BA> But my wife is special. She won the elections too. I have now words to express my happiness.”

“During the campaign, I took care of the kids and the tea stall as she went around the villages convincing people about her dream of ensuring education for girls in the area,” he added.

A total of 4,77,814 people stood for pradhan elections in the state, out of which a whopping 44.79% were women candidates.