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Jobs for CPI(M) cadres: Tharoor demands Thiruvananthapuram mayor’s resignation
Thiruvananthapuram mayor Aryan Rajendran was celebrated as the youngest mayor of the country when she took over in 2020
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday demanded the resignation of Thiruvananthapuram mayor Arya Rajendran in connection with an alleged letter written by her to Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), district secretary Aanavoor Nagappan seeking a priority list for appointing party cadres to 295 temporary posts in the municipal corporation.
Taking to twitter, Tharoor described the Mayor’s action as disgraceful and said, “Disgraceful that Thiruvananthapuram’s CPI(M) Mayor Arya Rajendran has been exposed asking her party secretary for names to fill vacancies in city government. At a time when India’s (and Kerala’s) youth are reeling from record levels of unemployment, this is a betrayal. She must resign.”
The letter was addressed to the CPI(M) district secretary on November 1, and stated that the online application process to fill 295 daily wage posts vacant in the health department of the Thiruvananthapuram municipal corporation has been opened. The mayor had allegedly requested the party district secretary to provide a priority list of cadres to be appointed by November 16, the last date for submission of applications. Rajendran was celebrated as the youngest mayor of the country when she took over in 2020. On Sunday, she denied writing or signing any such letter, saying that it appeared to be 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 added that the letter has revealed the misdeeds of the government and said, “Department heads are also reluctant 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 visiting ministers’ houses to report vacancies.”
“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 organisations of the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also protested at the corporation office demanding Rajendran’s resignation for allegedly seeking to fill the vacancies with party appointees. BJP Kerala President K Surendran said that the corporation governing council 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.
