VV Rajesh is BJP’s Thiruvananthapuram mayoral candidate after historic win
Former BJP district president to lead corporation after party ends 45-year Left rule; Asha Nath picked for deputy mayor as retired DGP Sreelekha is sidelined
The BJP will field its former district president VV Rajesh for the mayoral election of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, which the party won for the first time recently, ending 45 years of Left rule. Councillor Asha Nath will be the party’s candidate for Deputy Mayor.
The party’s state general secretary, S Suresh, announced the names at a meeting of the newly elected BJP councillors of the corporation and the party’s district leaders on Thursday (December 25).
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The decision followed prolonged discussions within the party’s state and district leadership.
Earlier, discussions had focused on retired DGP R Sreelekha as a possible mayoral candidate, but a section of the party is learnt to have opposed her elevation.
Four-decade-old Left fortress breached
Just ahead of the announcement, in a post on X, BJP state secretary Rajeev Chandrasekhar said he had met BJP national president JP Nadda and national working president Nitin Nabin to seek their guidance on organisational issues related to the party’s Kerala unit.
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“On behalf of every karyakarta, I thank them for their support,” he said.
The BJP secured control of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation with 50 seats, breaking a Left stronghold that had lasted for four decades. The Congress-led UDF also made significant gains by doubling its seat tally.
In the three-cornered contest, Thiruvananthapuram ultimately swung in favour of the BJP.
(With agency inputs)