Sreelekha resigns as Thiruvananthapuram councillor

NEW DELHI Retired DGP and BJP councillor R Sreelekha has reportedly resigned from the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation amid reports of dissatisfaction over not being made mayor, despite being projected as the party’s candidate during the 2025 local body elections. Mayor V V Rajesh confirmed receiving her resignation letter and said efforts were being made to resolve the matter. He said Sreelekha had cited personal inconvenience as the reason. “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,” Rajesh said. However, Corporation secretary J Muhammed Shafi said the resignation submitted to the mayor was not legally valid, as councillors must submit resignations to the secretary under Section 40 of the Kerala Municipality Act. “A resignation has not been received officially. According to Section 40 of the Kerala Municipality Act, the resignation must be submitted to the Secretary,” Shafi said. The resignation came to light after a message purportedly posted by Sreelekha in a residents’ WhatsApp group said she had submitted her resignation to the mayor and would hand over a copy to the district collector on October 5. The development has drawn the attention of the LDF, which was voted out of power in the corporation last year after 45 years. The BJP currently has 51 councillors, including an Independent, while the LDF has 29 and the UDF 20. If Sreelekha’s resignation is formally accepted, the BJP’s strength would fall to 50, based on the current council composition. CPM state secretary M V Govindan described the matter as an internal BJP issue but said the party would respond if a governance crisis emerged.