Congress leader Shashi Tharoor demanded the resignation of Thiruvananthapuram mayor Arya Rajendran on Monday in connection with an alleged letter she wrote to Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretary Aanavoor Nagappan requesting a priority list for appointing party cadres to 295 temporary positions in the municipal corporation.
Tharoor took to Twitter to condemn the Mayor’s behaviour, writing, “Disgraceful that Thiruvananthapuram’s CPI(M) Mayor Arya Rajendran has been exposed asking her party secretary for names to fill vacancies in city government.” This is a betrayal at a time when India’s (and Kerala’s) youth are suffering from record levels of unemployment. She must step down.”
On November 1, the letter was addressed to the CPI(M) district secretary and stated that the online application process to fill 295 daily wage positions vacant in the Thiruvananthapuram municipal corporation’s health department had begun. The mayor allegedly requested that the party district secretary provide a priority list of cadres to be appointed by November 16, the deadline for application submission. Rajendran was hailed as the country’s youngest mayor when she took office in 2020. On Sunday, she denied writing or signing the letter, claiming that it had been edited.
Talking about the same on Saturday, leader of Opposition in the Kerala legislative assembly, VD Satheesan also demanded her resignation.
“Thiruvananthapuram municipal corporation mayor Arya Rajendran, who violated her oath by writing to the CPI(M) district secretary demanding the party’ priority list in the appointment of 295 employees in the health department, should resign. The CPI(M) should be ready to expel the mayor if she does not resign,” Satheesan said.
He went on to say that the letter exposed the government’s misdeeds and that “department heads are also hesitant to report vacancies to the Public Service Commission (PSC) because CPIM state committee and district committee appointees continue to be appointed through the back door.” Applicants from the PSC rank list are reporting vacancies at ministers’ residences.”
“Appointments in municipal corporations have been given to local committees. They are cheating the poor people who come to interview for jobs. Direct recruitment is not done in any sector. Mafia gangs are working around CPIM offices to make back-door appointments,” Satheesan said.
On Monday, youth groups from the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) protested at the corporation office, demanding Rajendran resign for allegedly attempting to fill vacancies with party appointees. The governing council of the corporation, according to BJP Kerala President K Surendran, should be dissolved.
“Is it the role of the CPI(M) district secretary to fill jobs in a corporation? Vacancies should have been reported to the employment exchange. This job racket of the CPI(M) is a challenge to the people and the lakhs of jobless youths of the state. This is nepotism and a violation of the oath of office,” he said.