Daijiworld Media Network - Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 13: Former top police officer and Kerala’s first woman Director General of Police, Sreelekha, secured a victory on Saturday as a BJP candidate from the Sasthamangalam ward in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections, giving fresh impetus to the party’s efforts to wrest control of the civic body.
Her win comes amid an intensely competitive battle for the 101-member corporation, with the BJP, the CPI(M)-led Left Front, and the Congress-led UDF locked in a tight three-cornered contest. The BJP has projected Sreelekha’s success as both a symbolic and strategic gain in its campaign to unseat the Left from power in the state capital.
According to the latest trends, the BJP has emerged as the single largest party with 34 seats, while the Left Front has secured 20 and the Congress 16. Counting for the remaining wards is still underway, keeping the final outcome uncertain.
Sreelekha’s entry into active politics earlier this year had drawn widespread attention, as she joined the BJP after a long and distinguished career in law enforcement. Her decision to contest a ward-level election further underlined her transition from public service to grassroots politics.
The campaign, however, was marked by controversy. On polling day, December 9, Sreelekha shared a post on social media that was described as a pre-election survey predicting an advantage for the BJP-led NDA in the corporation polls. The post sparked strong reactions from rival parties.
State education minister V Sivankutty accused her of violating the Model Code of Conduct, noting that the Election Commission strictly prohibits the publication or circulation of pre-poll survey results on the day of voting. He termed the act a serious breach of electoral rules.
Amid the criticism, Sreelekha later removed the post from her social media platforms.
In the outgoing Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the Left Front had held a majority with 51 of the 100 wards, while the BJP-led NDA had 35 seats. The remaining wards were shared between the Congress-led UDF and independent candidates.