KOCHI: The council of Kochi Corporation that would take office next week is blessed with young blood. According to the data of winners, there are nine youngsters in the age group of 24-35 who got a ticket to the council. The sitting councillor of UDF Thampi Subramaniam is the only experienced person of the group, while the other eight are new faces.
Saneesha Ajeeb, who won from Chakkamadam division under the CPM banner, is the youngest of the lot at 24 years. Saneesha, elected to the council with a majority of 214 votes, is an active member of DYFI.
27-year-old UDF leader A R Shameena is the second youngest, winning from the Earavely division with a majority of 457. Shameena, a teacher at a higher secondary institution, is also a Mahila Congress Earavely Mandalam president.
LDF leader Rajeev K Chandrasekharan, 30, was elected to the council defeating UDF’s M X Sebastian with a majority of ten votes. Rajeev is working with a cooperative bank in the district. He is also vice-president of DYFI Vyttila block.
Thirtyone-year-old Antony Francis of LDF, 32-year-old Deepak Joy elected from Ayyappankavu, 33-year-old Thampi Subramaniam, the sitting councillor of UDF, 35-year-old Jose Mary, Nisha Dinesh and Jimini are the other young leaders of the council. While Jose Mary has been elected from Manassery division under UDF banner the other two won under LDF banner from Ponnurunny East and Pottakkuzhy respectively.
The new council is also blessed with 76-year-old Kattissery Muhammed Hamsa Kunju, who won under LDF banner from
Thrikkanarvattom, as the seniormost member of the council. Hamsa Kunju was the Deputy Speaker of Seventh Kerala Legislative Assembly. Earlier, he had also held the position of Mayor in 1973.
Several Fresh Faces This Time Too
Kochi: Fresh faces will grace the corporation this time too. Out of the 74 councillors who were elected to the Kochi Corporation in the local body election, 41 are newbies. This time, however, the number is less as compared to the last council which had 47 fresh faces including former deputy mayor B Bhadra, former works standing committee chairman and present mayor probable Soumini Jain along with many other prominent leaders of the last council.