India has reportedly elected its first transgender mayor.

Independent candidate Madhu Kinnar won the city of Raigarh’s mayoral election by more than 4,500 votes, beating her BJP opponent Mahaveer Guruji.

“People have shown faith in me,” Kinnar said after her victory. “I consider this win as love and blessings of people for me. I’ll put in my best efforts to accomplish their dreams.”

The-35-year-old candidate did not spend a lot of money on her campaign. “It was the public support that encouraged me to enter the poll fray for the first time and because of their support only, I emerged as the winner,” Kinnar said.

Observers were quick to credit an anti-BJP vote for Kinnar’s win. “The people of Raigarh were fed up with the corruption of BJP, hence they voted for Madhu. It is not Madhu Kinnar’s victory, but it’s a loss of BJP,” said Raigarh district Congress president Narendra Negi.

Raigarh is located roughly 300 miles west of the India-Bangladesh border where the population is primarily of Hindu faith.

Follow