For the first time in its history of mayoralty, Chennai welcomes its first Dalit woman mayor as 28-year-old Priya Rajan has on Friday - March 4, taken the oath of office and assumed her role in the midst of grand reception and a pile of challenges. Thanks to the Tamil Nadu state government for scripting a change that has become another feather in the cap of the women's and backward communities. Priya will also be the youngest mayor of Chennai. 

On Friday, Priya has officially taken the office after being elected by the DMK councillors, who swept the corporation in a landslide victory in the recently-held urban local body polls. Priya took charge following the swearing-in ceremony held at the Rippon building, Chennai and her oath of office was administered by Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi. According to our sources, Priya has been elected as Chennai's Mayor unopposed. 

After she took office, Priya was given the baton of leadership to run the city till the next urban body polls. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Tamil Nadu Ministers Sekar Babu and Ma Subramanian, who is also a former mayor of the city. In January this year, the DMK-led state government has passed an order reserving the post of mayor for a Scheduled Caste woman. The order of welcomed by all as it gave a crucial push for the women's community in politics. 

Priya has become the third woman mayor of Chennai after Tara Cherian and Kamakshi Jayaraman. Significantly, Priya has also become the first Mayor to be elected from North Chennai as her predecessors had dominance in South Chennai. The mayor election in Tamil Nadu was an indirect poll and they won't be directly elected by the people. As the government has reserved the seat for woman, a dozen of women from DMK ran for the mayoral race and finally, Priya has triumphed the seat. 

Priya had won as a DMK councillor of ward 74 in Mangalapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar in North Chennai. Priya's first official post is the Councillor and she has been a DMK cadre since the age of 18. Her father Rajan is the joint secretary of the DMK in their area and she is the granddaughter of former DMK MLA of Perambur, Chengai Sivam. As an M.Com graduate, Priya will be decorating the post of Chennai Mayor that was once held by Chief Minister MK Stalin.  

Speaking to a news agency, Priya said that DMK's comeback to power in the 2021 assembly polls had given a push to her interest in politics and her passion to help her neighbourhood. By citing that MK Stalin is pioneering to make a difference, Priya vows she wanted to be part of it. She had graduated from Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Arts & Science College for Women in George Town and she highlighted that it is important for young people to get involved in politics. 

Amid the knowledge that her upcoming journey would be difficult terrain, Priya says that young political aspirants shouldn't stay away from the fact that their priorities must always remain service and the people. With Priya getting elected as the 49th Mayor of Chennai, people from her ward and her area hope to have a change in the long run in flawed infrastructure. The typical face of North Chennai would starve for basic necessities and infrastructure. 

Several neighbourhoods in North Chennai are suffering from getting proper drinking water, flawless electricity and sanitation facilities. While these issues weren't sorted out completely, the people in the area believe that it's time that these whammies would be gone as Priya has been elected as the Mayor by being one among them. Priya is also in the club of young councillors of Chennai while the youngest is 21-year-old Priyadarshini, a candidate of CPI(M) who won from ward 98 in Teynampet. 

On Thursday, DMK has announced Priya as the party's mayoral candidate for Chennai and she said that road and sanitation would be her top priorities. She further said she would also work towards women empowerment. While Priya has been elected as the Mayor of Chennai, DMK's Mahesh Kumar from South Chennai will be the city's new Deputy Mayor. It must be noted that Chennai has got its Mayor after six years and previously, ADMK's Saidai Duraisamy held the post till October 2016.