In a significant political development, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has officially named its candidate for the coveted post of Mayor in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. This announcement comes on the heels of the party's landmark victory in the civic polls, which unseated a decades-long Left administration.
Rajesh Emerges as Consensus Choice
The party leadership, on Thursday, December 25, 2025, declared former district president V V Rajesh as its Mayoral nominee. The decision was unveiled by state general secretary S Suresh during a crucial meeting attended by the newly elected BJP councillors and district leaders in the state capital.
This final selection was the outcome of intense deliberations within the party's state and district units. Interestingly, retired Director General of Police (DGP) R Sreelekha was also under serious consideration for the top civic role. However, her candidature faced opposition from a section of the party, leading the leadership to settle on Rajesh as the consensus candidate.
A Watershed Victory in Kerala Politics
The backdrop to this announcement is the BJP's unprecedented performance in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections. The party managed to secure 50 seats in the 100-member house, marking its first-ever control over the prestigious civic body.
This victory is historically significant as it ends approximately four decades of continuous rule by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the corporation. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) also saw an improvement in its fortunes, successfully doubling its seat tally from the previous elections.
Seeking Guidance from the National Leadership
Ahead of the formal announcement, the party's state president, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, provided a glimpse into the high-level consultations that preceded it. He took to social media platform X to state that he had met with BJP national president J P Nadda and national working president Nitin Nabin.
The purpose of the meeting was to seek their counsel on organisational matters concerning the party's Kerala unit. "Met with BJP National President @JPNadda ji and National Working President @NitinNabin ji to discuss and get their counsel on @BJP4Keralam organizational issues," Chandrasekhar posted. He added, "On behalf of every karyakarta, I thank them for their support."
In a related decision, the party also named councillor Asha Nath as its candidate for the position of Deputy Mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. This complete slate signals the BJP's readiness to assume administrative control and chart a new course for the city's development.
