In a surprise move, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s district committee on Friday suggested 21-year old Arya Rajendran's name as the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram city Corporation. If the party's State Committee approves the choice, it will make her the youngest person to occupy that post. Though party leaders remained tight-lipped about the decision, CPI(M) sources confirmed the news. An official announcement is expected on Monday.
Ms. Rajendran, who won from the Mudavanmugal ward in the state capital, is a B.Sc student at the All Saints College in the city. She is the current State president of the Balasangham, a children's organization. She is also a member of the State Committee of the Students Federation of India (SFI) and the CPI(M)'s Kesavadev Road branch committee. Her father is an electrician, while her mother is an LIC agent.
"I have not got any official communication from the party regarding this. The decision will be taken by the party," Ms. Rajendran told The Hindu .
The two top contenders from the LDF for the Mayor post were defeated in the election, leaving 65-year-old Jameela Sreedharan, daughter of veteran Communist leader N. Sreedharan and a former member of the Public Service Commission, in the race.
However, there were rumours that the CPI(M), which leads the coalition, will go in for a young face, following the success of their experiment in 2015, when they chose 34-year old V.K. Prasanth. He gained popularity in a short time with his administrative prowess and in 2019 went on to wrest the Vattiyoorkavu assembly seat for the LDF.
The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, touted as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s gateway to power in Kerala, remained elusive for the party, as the LDF coasted to a thumping victory in the local body elections winning 52 seats in the 100-member council. The BJP won 34 seats and the UDF could win only 10, while four independents too won this time.
