Meet Priya Rajan, Chennai's youngest woman mayor

Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) gets its youngest and first-ever Dalit woman mayor, as Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), R Priya took the oath of office in Chennai on Friday. The indirect elections for the designation of mayor and chairperson for the GCC were held on Friday. DMK has 153 councillors out of 200 wards, Priya's election was evident. With 153 councillors, DMK's allies hold another 25 councillors in the GCC.

Priya is the third woman to serve as Mayor of Chennai, following Tara Cherian and Kamakshi Jayaraman. She is the granddaughter of former DMK MLA Chengai Sivam, who hails from a family with a robust political background. As per media reports, Priya's father, R Rajan, is the area co-secretary for the DMK. Priya was born and raised in Chennai. She is a Mcom graduate from Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Arts College for Women.
 

Priya was elected councillor from Ward 74 after her party won by a landslide in the recently concluded Tamil Nadu urban local body elections. Reportedly, the Mcom graduate is the first Mayor of North Chennai, one of the city's underdeveloped areas. Only those from the south or central parts of Chennai have held the position.

Ahead of the city council elections in Chennai, the state government recently issued a resolution reserving a position for women from the scheduled caste (SC). Chennai and the municipal corporations of Tambaram and Avadi, both city suburbs, will have mayors from the SC community after the DMK reserved these seats for the marginalised community as part of its social justice plank. Tambaram's mayor will be K Vasanthakumari, and Avadi's first mayor will be G Udhayakumar. 

The DMK won 21 municipal corporations, including 946 wards, 2,360 municipalities, and 4,388 town panchayats.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu corporation election 2022 results: DMK shows its might in Chennai

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