DMK picks Ranhanayaki as its candidate for Coimbatore Mayoral election
She is likely to be elected as Mayor during the indirect election to be held at Victoria Hall in Coimbatore on Tuesday.
R Ranhanayaki
CHENNAI: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) nominated Ward 29 councillor R Ranganayaki as its Mayoral candidate for the Coimbatore Corporation.
She is likely to be elected as Mayor during the indirect election to be held at Victoria Hall in Coimbatore on Tuesday. The post fell vacant after former Mayor Kalpana Anandakumar quit last month citing health reasons and amid controversies. She was accused of non-performance and her husband’s interference into affairs of administration.
Minister for Municipal Administration KN Nehru made the announcement, in the presence of Minister for Housing and Urban Development S Muthusamy following a meeting with DMK councillors on Monday. Even though several senior women councillors vied for the coveted post, Ranganayaki, a first time councillor emerged as the surprise choice.
“Adequate funds were sanctioned to lay roads, implement Pillur-III project and 24/7 water project in 60 out of 100 wards in Coimbatore corporation. All efforts were taken to prevent flooding in the corporation areas,” Nehru said to the media.
The Minister also gave a word of advice to the Mayoral candidate by asking her to work in unison with councillors to resolve the issues of people.
A resident of Dharani Nagar in Ganapathipudur, Ranganayaki had studied upto class ten and her husband is a 29th ward DMK secretary. She hails from the Gounder community.
Four women councillors including former Mayor Kalpana Anandakumar were conspicuous by their absence for the meeting. As the meeting got over, Meena Logu, ward 46 councillor and chairperson of Central Zone left teary eyed and disappointed as she was considered as one among the probables in the Mayoral race.
