Twenty-one-year old Arya Rajendran was sworn in as mayor of Thiruvananthapuram city on Monday.
In the 100-member council, Arya who represents the CPM-led Left Democratic Front, got 54 of 99 votes polled. A second-year degree student, Arya is considered to be the youngest mayor in the country.
While Arya is considered as the youngest mayor of India, Suman Koli, who became the mayor of Bharatpur in Rajasthan in 2009, was reported to be aged 21 at that time.
Arya's elevation to the mayor post reflects CPM's strategy to give prominence to youngsters in electoral politics. The CPM also made 21-year old Reshma Mariam Roy president of Aruvappulam panchayat near Konni in Pathanamthitta district. She was the youngest candidate in the local body elections in Kerala as she turned 21 a day before the last date for filing nomination.