Kerala: The swearing-in ceremony at the Pathanapuram block panchayat was different from any other as it seen  An women, named A. Anandavalli, who has been working as cleaning staff there for nearly 10 years,  taking the administration of the local body. Elected from the Thalavoor division, the 46-year-old took charge as the president on Wednesday.

She said she was in for the biggest surprise of her life when the party leadership proposed her name for the position. “My candidature was not much of a surprise and I was confident about the electoral outcome too. I was not expecting this, but today is one of the happiest days in my life and I am well aware of the huge responsibility handed over to me,” said Ms. Anandavalli after the swearing-in ceremony.

A branch committee member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Ms. Anandavalli could not continue her education after pre-degree and in the 90s she had worked as a pre-primary teacher and ayah. She joined the panchayat office as a part-time sweeper in 2011 and till 2017. Though I was taken as a cleaning staff, I used to do the work of office attendant as well,” she said.

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