Will fix water supply, roads: Influencer fielded by AAP for Surat local body polls

Goldie Singh, aka Sona Singh, a content creator with about 20,000 followers on social media, on Saturday filed her nomination for the upcoming Surat Municipal Corporation as a candidate of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has promised to spark a positive change in Gujarat's political landscape by fielding ordinary people for the civic body polls slated to take place across the state.

The microinfluencer, who has been fielded by the Arvind Kejriwal-led party from Surat's ward number 29, has built an identity for herself on social media with her dance and expressions. She filed her nomination in the presence of her supporters. Singh has vowed to address the most pressing civic issues, including dirty drinking water, in her locality if she wins.

Speaking to India Today, she said that she has been active on social media for about five years, but joined the AAP only recently. She expressed her happiness at receiving the opportunity to contest the local body elections and stated her intention to start campaigning soon.

Singh highlighted the issues faced by residents in her area, particularly those from lower-income groups. She listed problems such as inadequate drainage, frequent sewage overflow, poor road conditions, and the lack of clean drinking water as issues which she believes need urgent attention for the well-being of people and disease prevention.

She also raised concerns about street vendors selling items like pani puri and vegetables. According to her, municipal authorities often remove their carts, causing financial losses as the vendors’ goods spoil and their carts are not returned, adding to their hardships.

Singh expressed confidence in the public’s trust, stating that she believes "101% of the public trusts her." She credited her supporters and subscribers for encouraging her to take this step towards serving society and the country.

The AAP candidate also said that she plans to hold a door-to-door campaign so that she can directly listen to people’s problems and understand their difficulties so she can work on finding solutions to their grievances.

Voting for the 120 seats of the Surat Municipal Corporation is scheduled for April 26, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) having held power in the civic body for more than three decades.

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(Based on inputs from Sanjay Singh Rathod)