Greater Chennai Corporation's First-Ever Woman Dalit Mayor R Priya Takes Oath

In the recent local body elections for Greater Chennai Corporation, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) emerged victoriously. This time they fielded mostly young candidates and they ended up winning the elections. The DMK had previously hinted that the Mayor might be a young person. Keeping the suspense, they declared R Priya as the nomination for the position of Mayor.

On March 4, R Priya was sworn in as Chennai's first-ever woman Dalit mayor. Her name was announced by the Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi. The 28-year-old became the youngest person to be sworn in as the Mayor. An MCom graduate, Priya won her seat in Ward 74, which is the Thiru. VI. Ka. Nagar zone. The indirect elections to choose the Mayor and Deputy Mayor was to take place today.

Priya will be the third woman mayor after Tara Cherian and Kamakshi Jayaraman. She is one of the youngest people to win the councillor post. The youngest person to win was A Priyadarshini, who is 21 years old and a member of CPI (M) which was an ally of DMK for the local body elections. Priyadarshini won from ward 98 in Central Chennai by a margin of 8,695 votes. She is a resident of Villivakkam.

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Greater Chennai Corporation Woman Dalit Mayor R Priya

Priya's selection is after the state government led by DMK decided to reserve the post for a Scheduled Caste (SC) woman. This decision was taken ahead of the urban body polls.

Priya is the granddaughter of former DMK MLA Chengai Sivam. Not only that, she hails from a strong political background. She is the daughter of R Rajan, who is a ward-level DMK functionary in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, he has been at the party for more than 30 years.

She completed her MCom from Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Arts College for Women and is now all set to take over as the councillor for Ward no 74. Her selection as the mayor has created history in multi-folds. Not only is she the first Dalit woman and youngest woman to hold the position, but she is also the first mayor from North Chennai.

Her priority will be to find solutions to the waterlogging problem. The DMK won 21 municipal corporations with 946 wards and 2,360 municipalities.

(Feature Image Credit: ANI)