Thiruvananthapuram : The party on Friday secured its first-ever mayoral post in the state after VV Rajesh was elected Mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, ending nearly four decades of Left dominance in the capital city’s civic body. Rajesh won the mayoral election held at the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation office with 51 votes in the 101-member council, crossing the halfway mark with the support of an Independent councillor.
The LDF candidate P Sivaji received 29 votes, while UDF nominee K S Sabarinathan polled 19 votes. Two ballots were declared invalid, and one councillor abstained from voting. Rajesh, a BJP state secretary, becomes the first mayor from the saffron party in Kerala. The party had emerged as the single largest force in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation after winning 50 of the 101 wards in the recent local body elections.
The BJP’s victory in Thiruvananthapuram marked a major setback for the LDF, which had controlled the Corporation for close to 40 years. However, the Left retained influence elsewhere, winning most wards in Kozhikode Corporation. Across Kerala’s six municipal corporations, the UDF emerged on top by winning four mayoral posts. In Kollam Corporation, UDF’s A K Hafeez was elected mayor, while V K Minimol, a four-time councillor, secured the mayor’s post in Kochi Corporation.
Diya, along with her father Binu and uncle Biju, contested the election as Independents and later extended support to the UDF. Their backing ended the long-standing control of Kerala Congress (Mani) in Pala, a constituency regarded as its traditional stronghold. The BJP also registered victories in the municipalities of Tripunithura and Palakkad, underlining the party’s gradual expansion in Kerala’s local governance landscape.
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