THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Preparations have been completed for electing the Mayor and four municipal chairpersons in the district on Monday. The CPM district committee has officially declared the candidature of 21-year-old Arya Rajendran for the post of Mayor in Thiruvananthapuram corporation. The election will be held at 11 am, while that for the post of deputy mayor will be held at 2 pm. The elections for selecting the chairpersons will also be held at the same time.
According to the party district committee, Arya, a second year degree student who won from Mudavanmugal ward, is the party’s Mayor candidate. Deputy mayor will be from CPI and the party has confirmed the candidature of P K Raju who won from Pattom ward. He will also be the parliamentary party leader in the council. The party has also decided to field Suresh Kumar, who won from Malayinkeezhu block division, for the post of district panchayat president and Shylaja Beegum for the post of vice-president. The election of presidents in three-tier panchayats will take place on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the CPI district committee has reportedly asked the parliamentary party leader of the corporation and CPM to hand over the Mayor post to CPI in the fifth year of the rule. However, the CPM has not given an official confirmation in this regard.
The election will be held at the corporation council hall in a special meeting of the newly-elected councillors who were sworn-in on December 21. The whole process may take four hours and District Collector, Navjyot Khosa who is also the district electoral officer will administer the oath to the elected member. The Collector will drape the ceremonial robe of the Mayor to the elected candidate. After this, the Mayor will administer the pledge to the elected deputy Mayor.
Though the LDF has a clear majority in the corporation, the NDA that emerged the major opposition will also field a candidate for the post of Mayor. Sources said Simi Jyothish, who won from Chalai ward will be the BJP candidate. Neyyattinkara municipality, where the LDF has no clear majority, is crucial for the front that has fielded P K Rajamohanan as the chairman candidate.
Priyamma Suresh from Kerala Congress (Mani) who won from Panankattukari ward will contest for the vice-chairperson post. In UDF, which has one seat short, will field Jose Franklyn of Muttakkkadu ward for the chairman post while L S Sheela, who won from Vazhuthoor ward will contest, for the vice-chairperson post. The election in Neyyattinkara municipality is crucial as the LDF has no clear majority.
In Attingal, former municipal chairperson S Kumari will contest while other fronts - UDF and NDA - have not finalised their candidates. Sources said they will finalise their candidates during the council meeting before the election.
In Varkala, K M Laji, who won from Teachers Colony will contest for the chairperson post, while Kumari Sudarshini, one of the independents who won from Puthenchantha ward, will be the vice-chairperson. In Nedumangad municipality, the post of chairperson is reserved for Scheduled Caste woman. Sreeja C S will contest against Vinodini from BJP for the post, while the UDF has no candidate who won from Scheduled Caste.