After youngest mayor in India, 2 more enter 'Youngsters in power' list in Kerala
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After making 21-year old Arya Rajendran the Capital city's mayor, the CPI(M) has decided to give the charge of panchayat president to another 21-year old girl.
Reshma Mariam Roy, who was the youngest candidate in the local body election in Kerala, is all set to become president of Aruvappulam panchayat near Konni in Pathanamthitta district.
Reshma received attention earlier also as she turned 21, the minimum age for contesting election on November 18, 2020 which was just a day ahead of the last date for filing nomination.
Reshma won the local body election from ward 11 of Aruvappulam panchayat. The sitting seat of UDF was snatched by the CPM candidate by a majority of 70 votes. The Left Democratic Front(LDF) is also getting power in the panchayat after about 20 years.
Reshma who completed BBA from Konni VNS College is currently the DYFI district committee member, SFI district secretariat member and CPM branch committee member.
She is the daughter of Roy P Mathew, a timber trader and Mini Roy, an employee at St Stephens College. Robin Mathew Roy is her brother.
Apart from Arya and Reshma, there is also an independent candidate who comes to "youngsters in power" list. Johnys P Stephen, 22-year-old, final year MA English Literature student at Christ College, Bengaluru, was unanimously chosen as the president of the Uzhavoor panchayat in Kottayam as per an agreement reached with the United Democratic Front (UDF) leadership.
The agreement was signed on December 21 morning by which Johnys will be president for the first 2.5 years, after which he will resign and make way for the UDF's candidate.
Johnys won from the 4th ward of the Uzhavoor panchayat as an independent candidate supported by the 'One India One Pension' (OIOP) group, which is very active in the panchayat. He won by defeating five candidates from opposition fronts with a huge majority of 194 votes out of the total 675 votes polled in the ward. Johny's group OIOP with two seats emerged as the kingmaker in the 13-ward panchayat.
According to Johnys, both the major fronts (LDF and UDF) in the state approached him to join them. After holding talks with both, the OIOP committee decided to join hands with the Congress leading UDF.
Johnys was formerly an office-bearer of the Kottayam Diocesan Youth Movement and part of the Malayala Samajam of St Stephen's College, Uzhavoor, where he studied BA Literature.
Johnys' family, comprising his father Stephen, a retired headmaster, mother Laiby Mathew, a schoolteacher, and sister Jyothis Maria, who is a Class 12 student, gives him all support.
Meanwhile, on Sunday CPI(M) formally announced the decision to make Arya Rajendran the mayor candidate of Thiruvananthapuram city. Since the CPIM ihas a clear majority in the council, it is almost certain that Arya would be the youngest mayor in the country.
