Rajesh secured 51 votes in the mayoral election, winning with the support of an independent councillor. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate, P. Shivaji, received 29 votes, while KS Sabarinath of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) polled 19 votes. Two ballots were declared invalid.
The outcome signals a significant political shift in Thiruvananthapuram, a city long governed by the Left and regarded as a traditional bastion of both the LDF and the Congress. The BJP’s victory comes days after the results of the civic elections were announced on December 9, when the party emerged as the single largest bloc in the 101-member corporation with 50 seats. The LDF won 29 wards, while the UDF secured 19.
Elections to Kerala’s 1,199 local bodies were held in two phases on December 9 and 11, covering municipal corporations, municipalities, district councils, block panchayats and gram panchayats. Among the state’s six municipal corporations, the UDF won mayoral posts in four, the LDF retained one, and the BJP secured one — its maiden success at this level in Kerala.
Party workers celebrated Rajesh’s election at the BJP headquarters in the capital, describing the result as a turning point for the party’s organisational efforts in the state. Senior BJP leaders said the mandate reflected growing voter support in urban Kerala and confidence in the party’s governance agenda.
The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has special political significance, as the city is also the parliamentary constituency of senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. Observers say the mayoral result could reshape political equations ahead of future Assembly and parliamentary elections.
Speculation had earlier centred on former IPS officer R. Srilekha as a potential mayoral candidate after the civic poll results. Srilekha, Kerala’s first woman Director General of Police, joined the BJP in 2024 after retiring from service. However, the party eventually nominated VV Rajesh, citing organisational considerations and floor strength.
Elsewhere in the state, the UDF won mayoral posts in Kollam, Kochi and Thrissur, while the LDF maintained its position in Kozhikode. In Kannur, the UDF is set to form the corporation leadership.
Political analysts say the BJP’s entry into Kerala’s mayoral map, particularly in the state capital, could have long-term implications for urban local governance and electoral strategies in a state traditionally dominated by the Left and the Congress.
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