'Childish': Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran Faces Criticism From CPI-M At Poll Review Meet

Arya Rajendran, who made history in 2020 as the youngest mayor in India at the age of 21, has frequently found herself in the spotlight for controversial reasons.

Arya's husband Sachin Dev is also a member of Kerala Legislative Assembly from Balussery constituency. 

Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran has come under harsh criticism from within her own party, the CPI-M, following the party’s disappointing performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls. During a district committee meeting held to review the election results, several party members expressed their discontent with Rajendran’s conduct, labeling it as "childish", according to a report on IANS.

Sources indicate that some representatives indirectly suggested the need for a change in the mayoral position. Despite these calls, other leaders argued against her removal, citing the upcoming local elections in a year and a half and the potential negative impact on her political future, as per a report on Mathrubhumi.

Arya Rajendran, who made history in 2020 as the youngest mayor in India at the age of 21, has frequently found herself in the spotlight for controversial reasons. In April, she and her husband, party legislator Sachin Dev, faced backlash for allegedly rude and arrogant behavior towards a driver of the state-owned KSRTC. This incident led to a police complaint and is currently under judicial review.

During the recent stocktaking meeting, senior party leaders expressed their dissatisfaction with Rajendran’s public conduct. Following a thorough discussion, the decision was made to issue a final warning to her, urging her to improve her behavior, as reported by the news agency. The party leadership acknowledged that removing her from the mayoral post could jeopardize her political career.

Despite the criticisms, there was previously considerable support within the party for Rajendran, with discussions of her potential candidacy for the Lok Sabha and future assembly elections from the capital district. However, her recent actions and the subsequent internal backlash have cast a shadow over these prospects.

Meanwhile, Arya's husband Sachin Dev is also a member of Kerala Legislative Assembly from Balussery constituency.