No seat on stage, just an observer; Arya Rajendran sidelined in campaign

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Thiruvananthapuram Mayor and CPM district committee member Arya Rajendran has mostly stayed on the sidelines during the ongoing Assembly election campaign. After the party lost control of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, she had stepped back from active politics for some time. Arya recently made her first visible appearance at a public meeting attended by M A Baby in the Nemom constituency, held at Poojappura. However, she was not given a seat on the stage and was seen standing among the crowd. She also left the venue before senior leaders exited, drawing attention.

Arya Rajendran had earlier risen to prominence by becoming the youngest mayor in the country when she assumed office in December 2020. However, she was not given a seat in the recent local body elections. At the time, the party leadership had indicated that she would be considered for the Assembly elections, but her name did not feature even in the candidate discussions.

When asked about her role in the campaign, her husband Sachin Dev said that she continues to work in Thiruvananthapuram as a district committee member.

Meanwhile, there are reports that Arya Rajendran may shift her political base from the capital to Kozhikode. She currently serves as a CPM district committee member and is also a state secretariat member of DYFI.