KOZHIKODE: Long before campaigning for the local body elections got under way, Saruthi P had been in the news when she took control of the ration shop in her native Iringallur in Olavanna here after the dealer tested Covid positive. Now, Saruthi is all set to become president of Olavanna grama panchayat, one of the youngest to head a local body in the state. As a Bullet-astride candidate, who hit the campaign trail, the young woman had grabbed headlines.
“We managed to run the ration shop then as per the decision of the ward-level Rapid Response Team (RRT). The aim was to avoid a situation in which people will be deprived of Covid special kit and other essentials due to the closure of the shop,” says the 22-year-old, who also has plans to enrol for the LLM course. Donning PPE kit, Saruthi had done voluntary service at the grama panchayat-run Covid Care Centre for three weeks which further endeared her to locals.
A final year law student, she hails from a family of traditional CPM supporters. Her mother Prajeena is a party member and father Manoharan, a CPM loyalist. Currently a member of the CPM branch committee and DYFI Kozhikode South block committee, she had been associated with the Balasangham and the SFI.
“Olavanna is a CPM fortress right from the beginning and the post of president is reserved for women. I hope to spearhead my grama panchayat’s rise to new heights through teamwork. Agriculture, health, women’s empowerment and employment generation should remain the prime focus,” she said.