The CPI(M) sprang a surprise on Christmas Day by anointing 21-year-old Arya Rajendran as the party’s candidate for the Thiruvananthapuram Mayoral election scheduled to be held next week.
A BSc (Mathematics) student in a city college, Arya would be the youngest Mayor in the country. Since the CPI(M) commands absolute majority in the corporation council, it is certain that Arya would sail through the election.
Arya won from Mudavanmugal ward, defeating UDF candidate Sreekala by 2872 votes.
The district committee of the CPI(M) that met on Friday took the decision to field Arya as the party’s mayoral candidate. The formal announcement is expected to be made on Saturday.
Daughter of a long time party activist, Arya is the president of the children’s wing of the party. She was searching for words when media persons rushed to her residence in Mudavanmugal from where she was elected as the councillor in the recently held election to the local self Government bodies.
“My father has taught me to obey the directives issued by the party and I’ll follow that teaching. The CPI(M) is more important to me than anything else. My role model is Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is the best crisis manager I have seen,” said Arya while speaking to the media.
She said she is yet to formulate policies for the future development of Thiruvananthapuram. However, she added that her main focus will be on addressing women’s issues and other developmental activities.
“I was busy learning the basic requirements of the ward from where I have been elected. Now I have to learn the whole issues haunting the capital city and chart out an action programme to make Thiruvananthapuram the best city in the country. Waste management is one of the important problems staring the city,” said the Mayor designate.
Students of All Saints College will have the rare honour of having the “Worshipful Mayor” of the city as their colleague.
The Left front had fielded many youngsters and women in the local body polls. With this decision, the CPM hopes to attract more youngsters to the party ahead of the Assembly elections.
Saturday, 26 December 2020 | PNS | KOCHI
