Former DGP R Sreelekha resigns as Thiruvananthapuram councillor, putting BJP majority at risk

What happened

R. Sreelekha, Kerala’s first female DGP who transitioned into politics, has submitted her resignation as a Thiruvananthapuram Corporation councillor. The sudden move, which she has attributed to personal reasons, has thrown the local BJP into an immediate crisis and put its slim civic majority in the capital at risk.

Sreelekha, who won the Sasthamangalam ward on a BJP ticket, sent her resignation letter to Mayor V.V. Rajesh on 30 September. Though the news only emerged on Saturday, 3 October, the political fallout has been instantaneous.

The numbers crisis

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance currently holds a razor-thin majority in the 101-member council. After winning 50 seats in December 2025, the coalition took control of the corporation with the backing of an independent councillor, Pattoor Radhakrishnan, taking their voting strength to 51.

Sreelekha’s departure drops their active voting strength to 50. Compounding the party's arithmetic problem, another BJP councillor, R. Sugathan, is currently held at Viyyur Central Prison in Thrissur under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, meaning he cannot vote.

Mayor Rajesh has attempted to downplay the crisis, telling reporters that Sreelekha’s letter only raised "personal inconveniences". He insisted that the party is looking for ways to address her concerns and that the administration's stability is not in danger. "Personal inconveniences are natural," Rajesh said. "Whatever can be resolved, we will resolve as we go."

What happens next

Despite the Mayor's optimism, Sreelekha’s formal exit from the council appears to be moving forward. In a message sent to her ward’s WhatsApp group, she confirmed she had notified the Mayor of her decision to quit and would submit a copy of her resignation to the District Collector on Monday, 5 October.

Legally, her resignation is not yet official. Corporation Secretary J. Muhammed Shafi clarified that under Section 40 of the Kerala Municipality Act, a councillor must submit their resignation directly to the Secretary. Shafi told reporters on Saturday that he had received no such letter or phone call from Sreelekha.

Why she is resigning

Behind her public statement of personal reasons, local reports suggest Sreelekha’s decision stems from deep-seated discontent with the BJP leadership. During her local body election campaign, she was widely projected as the party's mayoral candidate. After the BJP won, however, the party leadership chose the more experienced Rajesh for the Mayor’s post instead.

Sreelekha has previously expressed her frustration publicly, stating she only agreed to run for the council seat because she was promised the mayoral role. Her political fortunes had already taken a hit earlier in the year when she finished third in the Vattiyoorkavu assembly election.

If Sreelekha's resignation is finalised next week, it will trigger a by-election in the Sasthamangalam ward, leaving the BJP to fight a high-stakes battle to preserve its historic, first-ever rule over the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.