Chennai: The Mayors and Deputy Mayors of all the Corporations in the state faced indirect polls on Friday. Most of them emerged victorious unopposed since DMK enjoyed a majority in most of the Corporations. Of all the 21 Corporations, the candidature of Chennai's and Coimbatore's Mayor took everyone by surprise.
Priya Rajan (28) is the youngest Mayor of Chennai and she took oath on Friday after being elected unopposed in the indirect polls. Priya Rajan is also the first Dalit Mayor of Chennai. Priya is the third woman Mayor of Chennai after Tara Cherian in 1958 and Kamakshi Jayaraman in 1971.
She is the granddaughter of the late former MLA Chengai Sivam.
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Meanwhile, DMK fielded councilor Kalpana Anandakumar as the Mayor candidate for Coimbatore city Corporation and she was elected without any hassle in the Corporation previously held by AIADMK.
The 40-year-old Kalpana will be the first woman Mayor of Coimbatore. However, Kalpana comes from a humble background and her candidature took the people of Coimbatore by surprise.
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Kalpana was an employee of a diamond factory and her husband Anandakumar is an area committee member of DMK in Maniyakarampalayam. Anandakumar also runs e-Seva centre in the area. After the announcement of her candidature, partymen recalled Kalpana and Anandakumar traveling in a government bus to meet TN CM Stalin in Chennai.
In the local body polls, the DMK provided major representation for women in the civic bodies. The party announced nine men and 11 women for mayor posts in the state.