BJP leader elected Thiruvananthapuram Mayor in big pre-poll boost: Who is V V Rajesh?

Currently one of the state secretaries of the BJP, Rajesh has been a Councillor from 2020. In the recent elections, he was fielded again after the party decided for a crucial battle in the state capital region, which has emerged as key to its electoral plans in Kerala.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, Rajesh, who was then the BJP district president, unsuccessfully contested from Vattiyoorkavu seat, which falls within the corporation region.

The 50-year-old leader, who has risen through the RSS student wing ABVP. At ABVP, he had served as state joint secretary and member of the national executive. The law graduate later became the state vice president and president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of BJP. During his days at BJYM, Rajesh had several agitations against the government at the state capital, which helped him to emerge as a leading face of the party.

Three times, Rajesh had tried luck in the state assembly elections. In 2011 and 2021, he contested from Vattiyoorkavu seat, and from Nedumangad in 2016. Although lost all elections, Rajesh had proved that he can increase the party’s vote share. While contesting from Vattiyoorkavu in 2011, Rajesh got only 13400-odd votes, but a decade later in 2021, he could jack up the figure to 39500. At Nedumangad seat, where BJP had only 1250 votes in 2011, Rajesh managed to garner 35,000-odd votes in 2016.

On Thursday, a day before voting was held to elect the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, the BJP ensured the support of Independent councillor Radhakrishnan. Three-time BJP councilor Asha Nath G S was elected as the Deputy Mayor.

It was widely believed that the mantle of the mayor would go to former DGP and first IPS officer from Kerala R Sreelekha, who had won her debut civic body elections. However, the BJP decided in favour of a senior leader, who rose from ranks, for the post of mayor.

A former spokesperson of the party and a familiar face on TV debates, Rajesh has been in the forefront of agitations.

In 2018, when the BJP led massive protests against the entry of menstruating women into the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala temple, Rajesh had led the agitations in the state capital. He faced criminal cases in this regard in Thiruvananthapuram as well as Sabarimala.

By selecting Rajesh to head the corporation, the BJP has sent a strong message that leaders and cadres who have toiled over decades matter for the party. Of late, the BJP in Kerala has been facing allegations that the party has been promoting fortune hunters or turncoats from other parties in key parliamentary posts, sidelining those who had worked for the party. He also belongs to the Hindu Nair community, which is dominant in the state capital region.

After getting elected as mayor, Rajesh told the media, “In the next five years, the capital will be converted into one of the three most developed cities of the country. All the 101 wards in the city will be considered as a unit as far development is concerned. We are representing the party that rules the country. The corporation has members of the party that rules the state and those from the grand old party. The council has former legislators as members. The experience of all the councilors will be tapped for the development of the city.”

He also reiterated the poll time promise of the party that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would come to the state capital within 45 days to announce new projects if the party is voted to power at the corporation.

One the state vice presidents of the party, Sreelekha, who had been a front runner to the post of Mayor right from the day her candidature was declared, however left the swearing-in ceremony of the mayor in a huff. After the ceremony was over, Rajesh rushed to Sreelekha’s house to ensure a smooth going in the council.