BJP Wins Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Rewriting Kerala Civic Politics

The BJP has won the mayoralty in Thiruvananthapuram, ending decades of Left control and signalling a shift in Kerala's urban governance. The result, part of broader local body trends across six corporations, reflects changing party strength and implications for future municipal administration in the state.

The BJP has entered a new phase in Kerala politics after securing its first mayoral post in Thiruvananthapuram, ending almost 40 years of Left control in the city corporation. VV Rajesh’s election as mayor signals a clear shift in urban politics and party strength in the state capital.

Rajesh won the mayoral election at the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation office with 51 votes in the 101-member council, after securing support from one Independent councillor. The election was held for 100 seats because polling did not take place in one Vizhinjam ward, but the halfway mark was comfortably crossed.

BJP Kerala mayoral victory reshapes civic power balance

The BJP had already emerged as the single largest group in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation by winning 50 of the 101 wards in the recent local body polls. With Rajesh, a BJP state secretary, becoming mayor, the party now heads the civic body in the Kerala capital for the first time.

The mayoral contest saw LDF candidate P Sivaji receive 29 votes, while UDF nominee K S Sabarinathan secured 19 votes. Two votes were ruled invalid, and one councillor chose not to vote. This result marked a rare setback for the Left in a corporation it had controlled for decades.

Statewide BJP Kerala mayoral victory trends and corporation results

Across Kerala’s six municipal corporations, the broader picture remained mixed for all fronts. The UDF won four corporations, the BJP captured Thiruvananthapuram, and the LDF retained one. The BJP and LDF thus finished with one corporation each, while the UDF held the numerical edge in mayoral positions.

Senior BJP leaders, including state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, former Union minister V Muraleedharan and former state president K Surendran, were present at the Corporation office during the voting. Rajesh later took the oath of office as mayor, while third-time councillor G S Asha Nath, a woman leader, was chosen as deputy mayor.

The detailed mayoral outcomes across the six municipal corporations are shown below.

Local shifts beyond BJP Kerala mayoral victory

The LDF, despite losing Thiruvananthapuram, kept its influence in other regions by winning most wards in Kozhikode Corporation. In Thrissur, UDF leader Dr Niji Justin became mayor, but the result sparked internal trouble after councillor Lali James alleged being denied the post because of bribery by party leaders.

In Kollam Corporation, UDF councillor A K Hafeez was elected mayor, while in Kochi, four-time councillor V K Minimol took charge. In Kannur Corporation, UDF candidate P Indira is set to assume the mayor’s post, strengthening the front’s presence in northern and central Kerala city administrations.

Beyond corporations, another turning point came from Pala municipality, where 21-year-old Diya Binu Pulikkankandam became the youngest municipal chairperson in Kerala. Diya, her father Binu and uncle Biju contested as Independents, then backed the UDF, ending the long-held grip of Kerala Congress (Mani) in its traditional Pala stronghold.

The BJP also recorded gains outside the capital by winning control in the municipalities of Tripunithura and Palakkad. Together with the Thiruvananthapuram mayoral win on Dec 26, 2025, these results underline the party’s gradual rise in local governance, while the UDF and LDF still retain strongholds across other urban centres.