Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Achieving the feat of the youngest and the first scheduled caste woman candidate, after 340 years in the history of Chennai, 28-year-old DMK candidate Priya Rajan on Friday was sworn in as the Mayor of Chennai. Rajan, who was administered oath by GCC commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi, is also the third woman mayor of Chennai after Tara Cherian and Kamakshi Jayaraman. She was elected unopposed as no other application was received for the said post.
Rajan is an MCom graduate and hails from a family with political lineage. Her father R Rajan, is a ward-level DMK functionary who has been in the party for over 30 years while her uncle Sivan is a former DMK MLA. Not only this her grandfather was also an MLA from the DMK party.
She was elected as a councilor of Ward 74-Mangalapuram in the recently-concluded civic body polls in which DMK has won 153 wards in the Urban Local Body Election. Meanwhile, Mayor posting for Chennai Corporation is reserved for Scheduled Caste Woman.
Women Mayors in Chennai:
In 1957, Thara Seriyan was elected as the first woman Mayor in Chennai Corporation. After her, Kamatchi Jeyaraman served as Chennai Mayor from 1971 to 1972. Now Rajan has got the chance to hold the position of Chennai Mayor.
