Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a congratulatory letter to V. V. Rajesh, calling the BJP’s Thiruvananthapuram victory “epoch-making” and a milestone “written in golden letters.”
- Rajesh was elected mayor with 51 votes, including support from one Independent, after the BJP won 50 of the 101 corporation seats; G. S. Asha Nath was chosen deputy mayor.
- In the letter, Modi criticized the LDF and UDF for what he termed a poor governance record and a “fixed match,” saying the result shows youth and women are “ready for a new dawn.”
- Rajesh said his priorities include clean administration and making the city “clean and green,” and he expects a visit by the Prime Minister in January with potential development announcements.
- Local reporting highlighted targeted campaign tactics and RSS-linked organizing as factors in the win, while some analysis noted the BJP’s broader local-body performance in Kerala remains modest.