Kottayam: Jiji Suresh, the new President of Mulakulam Panchayat, has spent years supporting her family as an auto-rickshaw driver and meal vendor. A resident of Thottara in Karikkode, Jiji contested and won from War 15 in the local body polls.

Now, the residents of Mulakulam can find her in a new role, the President of their panchayat. 

Her journey into driving an auto-rickshaw began out of necessity. When her husband, Suresh, a former employee at HNL, suffered a fractured femur in an accident and became bedridden, Jiji took over the responsibility of supporting their family, including their two daughters. She began operating her auto-rickshaw from the stand at Manaykkappady in Moolakulam.

Jiji first became a panchayat member in 2015 and previously served as a Standing Committee Chairperson. Stepping into her new role, Jiji has assured the public that she has several welfare projects in mind for the common man, which she plans to implement through collective consultation. Her daughters, Arathi and Athira, too, are providing full support for their mother’s political endeavours.