BJP State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar leads the party’s victory roadshow along with the newly elected NDA councillors of the city Corporation at Thampanoor in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN
Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tasted a historic victory at the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation in the local body elections, it has still fallen one short of the required majority number of 51 in the 101-member council. Considering this scenario, all eyes are on the stance to be taken by the two Independent candidates who won in the Kannammoola and Poundkadavu wards.
Though the winner at Kannammoola, M. Radhakrishnan, on Sunday paid visits to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leaders, including V. Sivankutty and M. Vijayakumar, he said that he will taken a decision on which party to support only based on the opinions of the people of his ward. He appeared to keep his options open. Independent candidates often bargain for key positions ranging from the Mayorship to the chairperson post of one of the standing committees in exchange for their support.
Without a majority in the council, the ruling front will struggle to pass resolutions or clear key project proposals, unless councillors from at least one of the Opposition fronts stage a walkout. The outgoing administration under the Left Democratic Front (LDF) had a rather comfortable majority of 51 in the pre-delimitation 100-member council, with the added support of three Independents.
Mayor candidates
Discussions are also ongoing within the BJP regarding the possible Mayor candidates. The names of former district president V.V.Rajesh as well as R. Sreelekha, former Director General of Police who won from the Sasthamangalam ward, are doing the rounds.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) district secretary V. Joy told press persons that the LDF’s defeat in the Corporation was unexpected. However, its voter base has not eroded, and it has secured over 42,000 votes more than the United Democratic Front (UDF).
“There was no overwhelming public sentiment against the LDF in the Corporation. However, there were some local-level issues. The party will study where we went wrong and make the necessary changes. The LDF was able to win in the district panchayat, all the four municipalities as well as 35 of the 73 grama panchayats, while the UDF won in 25 and NDA in 6. No one secured a majority in seven panchayats. We were able to wrest the Kallikkad and Karavaram panchayats from the BJP,” he said.
Published – December 14, 2025 08:57 pm IST
