CHENNAI: DMK's Ward 29 Councillor R Ranganayaki has been elected unopposed as Mayor of the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC).
Ministers KN Nehru and S Muthuswamy handed over the sceptre to R Ranganayaki, who formally assumed office by taking the mayor's chair on Tuesday.
The election was uncontested as no one else had filed nomination papers for the mayoral poll.
First-time councillor Ranganayaki's candidature was a surprise choice as several senior women councillors had vied for the coveted mayoral post. Minister for Municipal Administration KN Nehru had made the announcement in the presence of Minister for Housing and Urban Development S Muthusamy, following a meeting with party councillors on Monday.
A resident of Dharani Nagar in Ganapathipudur, Ranganayaki has studied upto Class 10 and her husband is a 29th ward DMK secretary. She hails from the Gounder community.
The post fell vacant after former Coimbatore Mayor Kalpana Anandakumar quit last month citing health reasons. She was accused of non-performance and her husband had reportedly interfered with affairs of administration.
Meanwhile, DMK's Ramakrishnan alias Kittu was elected Tirunelveli Mayor on Monday after he beat his rival Paulraj by seven votes in an indirect election.
(With Bureau inputs)