21-year-old Arya Rajendran becomes country's youngest Mayor

Arya Rajendran, 21, took charge as the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram on Monday (December 28). She is the youngest Mayor in the country till date.

Arya secured 54 votes in the 100-member Council in the election held on Monday morning.  Arya represents the Left Democratic Front (LDF), which has 52 seats in the Council. She was supported by three independent Councillors. However, the vote cast by one LDF Councillor was declared invalid.

Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded Simi Jyothish, former chairperson of the Corporation’s tax appeal standing committee. The party has 34 seats and the support of an independent Councillor. The United Democratic Front, which has 10 seats, fielded Councillor Mary Pushpam.

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The BJP candidate secured all 35 party votes, while the UDF candidate received nine votes, since one councilor was absent because he was under COVID-19 observation.

CPI (M) members had gathered at the swearing-in ceremony of Arya Rajendran in huge numbers. They celebrated her win by bursting crackers outside the Corporation office.

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The CPI (M) surprised everyone by selecting such a young candidate to the mayor’s post, which is reserved for women this time. Political experts see this as the party’s strategy to thank youngsters who supported the party in the election. Arya Rajendran has been with the CPI (M) since class five when she took membership in the Balasangham and her family have been supporters of the party for many decades.