Chandigarh, Jan. 31 -- Harpreet Kaur Babla, 60, a homemaker and seasoned politician with over two decades of experience, has her work cut out as the newly elected mayor of Chandigarh. Taking charge after a tumultuous year under AAP's Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor, Harpreet aims to restore order to the municipal corporation (MC), which has faced financial challenges and halted development.

Wife of seasoned BJP leader Devinder Singh Babla, Harpreet first entered the electoral fray in 2001 on a Congress ticket, winning her debut municipal election with a significant margin. She returned to active politics in 2021, securing another landslide victory in the civic body polls, making her a two-time councillor. But post victory, she switched allegiance t...