BJP’s VV Rajesh Elected Thiruvananthapuram Mayor, Party Secures Historic First in Kerala Corporation

Thiruvananthapuram (Rajeev Sharma): BJP leader V V Rajesh was elected mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation on Friday, marking the saffron party’s first-ever control of a municipal corporation in Kerala. The victory comes after the BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 50 of the 101 wards in the civic body.
In the mayoral election, Rajesh secured 51 votes with the backing of an Independent councillor. LDF candidate P Sivaji received 29 votes, while UDF nominee K S Sabarinathan polled 19 votes, of which two were later declared invalid.
Senior BJP leaders, including state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, were present at the corporation office during the election process. Former Union minister V Muraleedharan and former BJP state president K Surendran also attended the proceedings. Rajesh later took oath as the mayor of the state capital.
The BJP’s victory in Thiruvananthapuram ended nearly four decades of LDF dominance in the corporation, signalling a significant political shift in the state’s urban local body politics.
In other civic results, the UDF secured the mayoral post in Kollam Corporation with A K Hafeez taking charge, while in Kochi Corporation, senior councillor V K Minimol was elected mayor. In Thrissur Corporation, Niji Justin of the UDF was elected mayor, though the result sparked internal dissent, with councillor Lali James alleging she was denied the post unfairly.
The LDF retained its hold in Kozhikode Corporation by winning the highest number of wards, while in Kannur Corporation, UDF candidate P Indira is set to assume the mayor’s office. Of the six municipal corporations in Kerala, the UDF won four, while the BJP and LDF secured one each.
Another notable development was reported from Pala municipality, where 21-year-old Diya Binu Pulikkankandam was elected chairperson with UDF support, becoming the youngest municipal chairperson in the state. Diya, along with her father Binu and uncle Biju, had contested as Independents before extending support to the UDF, bringing an end to Kerala Congress (Mani)’s long-standing rule in the region.
Besides Thiruvananthapuram, the BJP also registered victories in the municipalities of Tripunithura and Palakkad, strengthening its presence in Kerala’s local governance landscape