Arya Rajendran – Youngest Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram
As the youngest mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the largest urban organization in Kerala, Arya Rajendran, a 21-year-old CPI(M) chief, was sworn-in on Monday. Within a tightly packed, history-in-the making council hall, Collector Navjot Khosa administered the oath of office to Rajendran after the latter was elected mayor with 54 votes out of 99 votes cast. As the CPM-led LDF had 51 members on the 100-member council, the election of the 21-year-old was a foregone conclusion. With 34 members, and the Congress-led UDF in third place with 10 members, the BJP, which had campaigned extensively this time in hopes of gaining power in the business, stood second. There were five Independent Members. In the mayoral election, though one CPM member's vote was invalid,...