Kerala’s first woman DGP wins local election on BJP ticket

Thiruvananthapuram: Sreelekha, Kerala’s first female Director General of Police, secured a notable victory on Saturday as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections. Winning from the Sasthamangalam ward, the former top cop’s success has provided significant momentum to the BJP's campaign to capture the civic body.

Her victory comes at a critical moment, with the race for control of the corporation turning into a tightly fought contest between the three major political fronts. As counting continues, early trends indicate a shift in the balance of power; the BJP has emerged as the single largest party so far with 34 seats, followed by the Left Front with 20 and the Congress with 16 in the 101-member council.

The former officer’s entry into politics earlier this year surprised many, and her decision to contest a local ward election drew considerable attention given her distinguished career in the state police force.

However, her campaign was not without controversy. On polling day, 9 December, she faced backlash after sharing a purported pre-poll survey on social media that predicted an advantage for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). State Education Minister V. Sivankutty condemned the act as a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, which prohibits publishing survey results on voting day. Following the criticism, Sreelekha deleted the post from her accounts.

The election holds high stakes for all parties involved. In the outgoing corporation council, the CPI(M)-led Left Front held a majority with 51 of the 100 seats, while the BJP-led NDA was the primary opposition with 35 seats. The Congress-led UDF and independents held the remainder. The BJP views Sreelekha's win as both a symbolic and political boost in its concerted effort to dislodge the Left Front from power in Kerala's capital city.

(Inputs from IANS)