Thiruvananthapuram: Months after the BJP came to power in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the party faces a political test with retired DGP and Sasthamangalam councillor R Sreelekha tendering her resignation to Mayor VV Rajesh, officials said on Saturday.
Rajesh confirmed to reporters that he had received Sreelekha’s resignation letter and said efforts were underway to resolve the issue amicably.
Sreelekha, however, has not yet submitted the resignation to the Corporation Secretary, who is the competent authority to accept it, Rajesh said.
If her resignation is accepted, the BJP’s strength in the 101-member Corporation will come down to 49 councillors, party sources said.
The BJP is currently in power in the Corporation with the support of an Independent councillor. Another BJP councillor, R Sugathan, is currently in jail after being booked under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act.
Sreelekha, who won the Sasthamangalam ward on a BJP ticket, tendered her resignation on September 30 and will submit a copy to the District Collector on October 5, party sources said.
The resignation came to light after a message purportedly posted by Sreelekha in a WhatsApp group of residents of her ward said she had submitted her resignation to the Mayor and would hand over a copy to the District Collector on October 5.
In the message, she thanked the residents for their cooperation.
Sreelekha was not immediately available for comment.
There had been reports of her dissatisfaction over not being made Mayor, despite being projected as the party’s candidate for the post during the 2025 local body elections.
The BJP came to power in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for the first time, securing the support of 51 councillors, including an Independent, in the 101-member civic body.
Sreelekha contested the Assembly election from Vattiyoorkavu in April but lost to Congress leader K Muraleedharan.
She is the first woman IPS officer in Keralam and the first woman to attain the rank of DGP in the state.
Speaking to reporters, Rajesh said Sreelekha had cited personal inconveniences as the reason for her resignation.
“Personal inconveniences are natural. When working as public representatives, we often encounter inconveniences in many matters. Whatever can be resolved, we will resolve as we go,” he said.
He denied that there was any controversy behind the move and said it would not affect the party’s position in the Corporation.
“On September 30, the resignation letter was submitted to me. The letter has to be given to the Corporation Secretary. Based on the letter I received and the information shared with me, I am making efforts to resolve the matter amicably and move forward in whatever way possible,” he said.
Rajesh said he had not forwarded the resignation letter to the Corporation Secretary.
Asked whether Sreelekha had been offered a position in the National Commission for Women and whether the appointment of another BJP leader, Niveditha Subramanian, had prompted her resignation, Rajesh denied it, saying no one in the party had worked to secure a position for her.
“The party has not promised any post to anyone,” he said.
On reports of Sreelekha’s dissatisfaction over not being given the Mayor’s post, Rajesh said the party evaluated the capabilities of its workers and assigned them positions based on where they could best serve society.
“In this party, the capabilities of every worker and where each worker can be useful to society are precisely evaluated and placed. That’s how people like us were placed as well. So, that balancing exists in everyone’s case. That’s how it is for all of us,” he said.
LDF parliamentary party leader in the Corporation SP Deepak told reporters that Sreelekha had left the political stage with immense sorrow.
“The functioning of the Mayor in this Corporation over the past nine months is something that no one who engages in respectful political activity within a democracy and our society can tolerate,” he said.
Deepak said Sreelekha, being a former DGP, could not tolerate the BJP’s alleged protection of councillor Sugathan, who was arrested in a KAAPA case.
“The BJP provides all kinds of protection to Sugathan, an accused in the KAAPA case. The BJP leadership was not ready to provide any protection to someone who came here as a councillor after serving as a former DGP,” he said.
UDF parliamentary party leader in the Corporation K S Sabarinadhan said Sreelekha’s resignation indicated a collapse of civic governance.
“Everyone understands that Rajesh has been a huge failure as a Mayor. If Sreelekha resigns like this, it destroys the trust that the ordinary people of Sasthamangalam have. Not only that, but unable to govern the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP is in the midst of an internal feud,” he said.
He indicated that the UDF would not seek an alliance with the LDF to gain power in the Corporation.
“Let me state one thing categorically: the UDF is not standing here greedy or desperate for power,” he said.
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