Hyderabad: With Shelly Oberoi getting elected as the Delhi mayor after nearly a decade since the national capital saw a woman in mayoral position, her rich educational background and a rather young age is drawing heavy media limelight.
However, the 39-year-old is not the only woman to have shattered glass ceilings. In fact, majority of India's youngest mayors happen to be women leaders -- with all four who are still incumbent in their positions being women as well.
Arya Rajendran, who is currently the youngest mayor in India, was elected in 2020 as the mayor of Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram at the mere age of 21. A member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), she had defeated her closest rival, UDF candidate Sreekala, by a margin of 2,872 votes during the civic body election in 2020. She was also the youngest candidate in the running for the position.
Now 24 years old, Rajendran is married to KM Sachin Dev -- a member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly from the Balussery constituency. Prior to her election, Rajendran had said that her focus would be on improving lower primary schools and continuing the ongoing developmental work in the area.
Next comes Mekala Kavya, the incumbent mayor of Jawaharnagar Municipal Corporation in Telangana's Medchal since 2019 -- elected at the age of 26. The first mayor of Jawaharnagar, Kavya is a member of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Kavya's election as mayor was significant, considering she had no prior political experience.
The 31-year-old has in the past attributed her success to her brother, Mekala Bhargava Ram, who played a prominent role in her victory. In 2017, Kavya got married to a software engineer, and has a daughter with him, even as she operates well as a mother, wife and a politician.
Further in the list is the first Muslim mayor of Mysore, Tasneem Bano was elected as the mayor in 2020 at the age of 31 and is incumbent in her position since. A member of the Janata Dal (Secular), Tasneem entered electoral politics before the 2013 Mysore Municipal Corporation Elections held in March. She contested as a Congress candidate, with her nomination replacing her uncle's -- Alhaj Naseeruddin Babu, who was a three-time corporator.
In 2018, Tasneem was selected again as a candidate, but this time from a Janata Dal (Secular) ticket. Tasneem's dedication to organizing workers at the grass-root level and her reputation as a popular corporator earned her the mayor's designation.
Also read: Who is Shelly Oberoi, Delhi's new mayor who swept MCD polls
The mayor of the Firozabad Municipal Corporation, Nutan Rathore, who got elected in 2017 at the age of 31, is next on the list. Attributed as the youngest mayor in Uttar Pradesh, Nutan had won the mayoral election as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, defeating her opponent Masrur Fatima from the AIMIM party.
After completing her MBA, Nutan started working with NGOs, including Oxfam India and Mahila Chetna Manch. Her father, a lawyer and a longtime BJP supporter, played a significant role in her selection as the mayor.
Apart from these four women, Sabitha Beegam was elected as the mayor of the Kollam Corporation at the age of 23 in 2000, and remained incumbent for four years till 2004. A member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Beegam was the youngest mayor in the country till Arya Rajendran got elected.
Rekha Priyadarshini, elected as the mayor of the Salem City Municipal Corporation in Tamil Nadu at the age of 24, was incumbent from 2006 to 2010. A member of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Priyadarshini also held the prestige of being the first woman mayor belonging to the Scheduled Caste community.
Making some space for men in the list, Sanjeev Ganesh Naik from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra took over as the mayor at the age of 23. Member of the Nationalist Congress Party, Naik remained in power for 14 years from 1995 to 2009, and was the first mayor of the Navi Mumbai satellite city.
The current Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis also made it to the list of youngest mayors the country has seen. Elected as the mayor of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation at age 27, he Fadnavis remained in power from 1997 to 1999. A candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Fadnavis was the second youngest mayor in the country till Sabitha Beegam got elected.
