Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader V.V. Rajesh was on Friday sworn in as the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram, making it the first time that the party is coming to power in any Corporation in Kerala. Mr. Rajesh got 51 out of the total 100 votes, including one vote from Independent councillor M. Radhakrishnan. The Left Democratic Front (LDF)’s Mayoral candidate R.P. Sivaji got 29 votes, while the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF)’s K.S. Sabarinadhan got only 17 votes with two of the UDF votes becoming invalid.
Sudheesh Kumar, the independent councillor from Powdikonam and a Congress rebel, did not cast his vote. The election to the Vizhinjam ward was postponed earlier due to the death of a candidate. District Collector and Returning Officer Anu Kumari administered the oath to Mr. Rajesh. A large number of BJP workers who had begun gathering at the Corporation premises in the morning, erupted into spirited sloganeering as he completed his oath.
“I hope to use my experience and abilities to take along everyone to ensure development in the 101 wards of the Corporation. As a representative of the party ruling this country, my aim is to ensure that Thiruvananthapuram will be one of the three Indian cities with the biggest developmental activities happening in the next five years,” he said in his first address as the Mayor.
