Thiruvananthapuram | The BJP on Thursday decided to field former district president V V Rajesh as its candidate for the post of Mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, which the party won for the first time, ending 45 years of Left rule.
Woman councillor Asha Nath will be the party's candidate for Deputy Mayor.
The names were announced by the party's state general secretary, S Suresh, at a meeting of the newly elected BJP councillors of the corporation and the party's district leaders.
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.
Just ahead of the announcement, in a post on X, BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar said he had met BJP national president J P Nadda and national working president Nitin Nabin to seek their guidance on organisational issues related to the party's Kerala unit.
"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.
Thiruvananthapuram | The CPI(M)-led LDF has lodged a complaint alleging a violation of statutory norms during the oath-taking ceremony at the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, where the BJP captured power, ending nearly five decades of Left rule, in the recent local body polls.
The complaint, submitted to the District Collector and the State Election Commission, is against 18 BJP councillors and two Congress councillors.
CPI(M) district secretary V Joy MLA alleged that the councillors deliberately flouted legal provisions while the newly elected members assumed office earlier this week.
According to the complaint, some councillors took the oath in the names of deities and martyrs, including references to "Kavilamma" and "balidanikal" (martyrs), instead of adhering to the format prescribed under law.
Joy told PTI that such deviations amount to a conscious violation of the oath-taking rules governing local self-government institutions.
He said the LDF would pursue legal action in the matter.
"This is not a mere procedural lapse but a deliberate breach of the law. A case will be filed before the court after the Christmas vacation," he said.
The issue comes in the backdrop of the swearing-in ceremonies held across Kerala on Sunday, when newly elected representatives of village, block and district panchayats, municipalities and city corporations took oath and assumed office.
At the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, which the BJP wrested from the ruling LDF in a closely contested three-cornered fight, senior Congress councillor Cletus was the first to take the oath, followed by other newly elected members.
