After the local body elections of 2015, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) that emerged victorious in the Thiruvannathapuram Corporation was faced with a major problem.
All of its senior leaders, who were considered as Mayor candidates, had lost.
The CPI(M) leadership made a gamble and zeroed in on 34-year-old V.K. Prasanth to helm the Corporation, making him the youngest to hold that post. The decision paid off as he lived up to the hope entrusted in him, after an initial learning curve.
Twin losses
Five years later, the LDF is faced with a similar situation with two of its candidates, who were considered for Mayorship, losing the elections.
S. Pushpalatha, an experienced councillor who has helmed multiple standing committees over the years, lost from Nedumcaud. A.G. Oleena, another Mayor candidate, lost from the Kunnukuzhy ward.
Now, the only one left among the initial choices for the Mayorship is Jameela Sreedharan, daughter of veteran Communist leader N. Sreedharan and a former member of the Public Service Commission, who won by a comfortable margin from Peroorkada.
It is still not clear whether the CPI(M) will opt for her or go in for one of the many younger faces who have won this time. The names of some of these young councillors are now floating around as the possible choices.
Party sources say that the defeats of experienced councillors is a cause for concern, even when there is the confidence of having a simple majority. An inexperienced Mayor might find it tough to handle the Opposition, which has several experienced councillors among its ranks. This has also made difficult the task of choosing the various standing committee chairpersons. The LDF, with its majority, is in a position to take control of all the standing committees.
As for the Deputy Mayor, a post which is not reserved for women this time, the Communist Party of India (CPI) has several choices from among the senior district leaders who have won. Though Rakhi Ravikumar, the Deputy Mayor in the previous term, has won from Vazhuthacaud this time, there is a possibility that the other leaders, including S. Vijayakumar, C. Harikumar, or P.K. Raju could be considered for the post.
