In Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram, BJP won the municipal corporation for the first time and V.V. Rajesh was made mayor. Won 50 wards out of 101. UDF won 4 corporations and LDF and BJP won 1 corporation each. 21-year-old Diya Binu became the youngest chairperson in Pala.
Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader VV Rajesh was elected Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation on Friday, December 26. The BJP won 50 of the 101 wards in the city, its first win in a municipal corporation in Kerala. Let us tell you that apart from Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, BJP also won in Tripunithura and Palakkad municipalities. With this, BJP has captured the corporation after almost 4 decades of LDF rule.
BJP’s VV Rajesh becomes first mayor of Thiruvananthapuram with 51 votes
In the mayor elections held on Friday, VV Rajesh got 51 votes, which also included the support of an independent councilor. LDF’s P Shivaji got 29 votes, while UDF candidate K S Sabarinathan got 19 votes, two of which were later declared invalid. Rajesh was later sworn in as the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. VV Rajesh said, “We will move forward taking everyone along. Development programs will be implemented in all 101 wards, ensuring equal treatment to all. Thiruvananthapuram will be transformed into a developed city of the country.”
Rajiv Chandrashekhar said – Thiruvananthapuram will be included in the top 3 cities of the country.
Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “Even basic issues like drainage, water and solid waste management have been ignored for the last 45 years. Therefore, we have said from day one that the day people give us an opportunity to serve them, we will start working on developing Thiruvananthapuram. As our Mayor Rajesh said, we want to make Thiruvananthapuram one of the top three cities in the country. This is our aim. And our work for this has started from today itself.” During this time, Kerala BJP President Rajiv Chandrasekhar, senior BJP leader and former Union Minister V Muraleedharan and former BJP state president K Surendran were present in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation office.
UDF won 4 corporations, LDF and BJP won one corporation each.
Out of 6 municipal corporations in Kerala, UDF won 4 while LDF and BJP won one each. In Kollam Corporation, UDF’s AK Hafeez was elected mayor, while in Kochi Corporation, UDF councilor and 4-time councilor VK Minimol was elected mayor. Whereas in Thrissur Corporation, Dr. Niji Justin of UDF was elected Mayor. LDF won most of the wards in Kozhikode Corporation, while in Kannur Corporation, UDF candidate P Indira will be elected mayor.
Kerala’s youngest municipal chairperson
Another major achievement was achieved in Pala Municipality, where 21-year-old Diya Binu Pulikkankandam was elected chairperson with the support of the UDF. She became the youngest municipal chairperson of Kerala. Diya contested and won the election as an independent candidate along with her father Binu and uncle Biju. He later extended support to the UDF, resulting in the end of Kerala Congress (Mani) rule in Pala, which was considered its traditional stronghold.