BJP makes history in Kerala, VV Rajesh elected first-ever party mayor in Thiruvananthapuram

Active in politics since 1996, VV Rajesh brings nearly three decades of experience in party organisation and public life

• VV Rajesh named BJP's mayoral candidate for Thiruvananthapuram Corporation
• BJP ends over 40 years of Left rule, wins 50 seats in Thiruvananthapuram
• Asha Nath nominated as BJP's Deputy Mayor candidate

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VV Rajesh, a senior BJP leader and former Thiruvananthapuram district president, has been elected as the new Mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.  The Kodunganoor ward councilor secured 51 votes, the news agency ANI says.  This development follows the party's historic victory in the civic body that ended more than four decades of Left rule.

For the first time in history, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has a BJP Mayor. He received the support of 50 BJP councillors and one independent member. UDF candidate KS Sabarinathan secured 17 votes, while LDF mayoral candidate RP Shivaji secured 29 votes, the news agency added.

The BJP nominated Rajesh after prolonged consultations within the party's state and district leadership. Retired DGP R Sreelekha had earlier figured in discussions as a possible mayoral candidate, but her elevation was reportedly opposed by a section of the party. Reports suggest that Rajesh enjoys backing of the RSS as well. Some media reports suggest that Rajesh’s name was finalised after the RSS stepped in.

Meet the BJP/NDA candidates for Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram - Shri VV Rajesh and Smt. Asha Nath.

Both are committed karyakartas who are committed to serve the people of our capital city and solve the unsolved problems of decades. And realize our goal of… pic.twitter.com/fwRrTaMmqB — Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@RajeevRC_X) December 25, 2025

Rajesh, 50, is currently serving his second term as a councillor in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. He won from the Kodunganoor ward in the recent Kerala local body elections with a margin of 515 votes.

A lawyer by profession, Rajesh is a BJP state secretary and a seasoned organisational leader. He has previously served as Thiruvananthapuram district president and as state president of the BJP Yuva Morcha. In the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, he contested from the Vattiyoorkavu constituency and finished second with 39,596 votes, behind CPI(M)'s V K Prasanth.

Active in politics since 1996, Rajesh brings nearly three decades of experience in party organisation and public life, a background that has now led to his emergence as the BJP's mayoral face in Kerala's capital city.

Just ahead of the announcement, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said in a post on X that he had met party national president J P Nadda and national working president Nitin Nabin to seek guidance on organisational issues related to the Kerala unit. He thanked the central leadership for its support on behalf of party workers.

The BJP secured control of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation with 50 seats, breaking a Left stronghold that had lasted for around four decades. The Congress-led UDF also made gains by doubling its seat tally, but in the three-cornered contest, the capital city ultimately swung in favour of the BJP.