The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Keralam was plunged into a fresh crisis on Saturday (October 3, 2026) with news emerging that Sasthamangalam ward councillor R. Sreelekha, a former DGP, had quit the party.
However, Mayor V.V. Rajesh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tried to downplay the incident, saying Ms. Sreelekha had only handed over a letter expressing personal inconveniences.
He did not confirm if the letter communicated her resignation, saying a councillor has to submit a letter of resignation to the Corporation Secretary.
Corporation Secretary J. Muhammed Shafi, too, denied receiving an official communication from Ms. Sreelekha. Mr. Shafi clarified that under Section 40 of the Kerala Municipality Act, a resignation letter has to be submitted to the Corporation Secretary. “No such letter has been received yet,” he told mediapersons.
He also denied receiving any such communication from Ms. Sreelekha over the phone.
Ms. Sreelekha reportedly mentioned in her ward’s WhatsApp group that she had informed the Mayor through a letter on September 30 about her decision to resign as a councillor. A copy of it would be submitted to the District Collector on Monday, she had said.
The Mayor said the party was trying to find ways of addressing the inconveniences pointed out by Ms. Sreelekha. “On the basis of the letter I got and the information shared with me, I’m trying to take things forward smoothly and address them in the way possible,” Mr. Rajesh said.
Ms. Sreelekha could not be contacted for comments.
BJP on the back foot
The latest development has put the BJP, which has a very slim majority in the city Corporation, on the back foot. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has 50 seats in the 101-member council and is ruling with the support of independents. If the resignation materialises, the party will be left with 49 councillors.
Ms. Sreelekha, a former Director General of Police, had earlier made clear her displeasure at being overlooked for the Thiruvananthapuram Mayor post. She had said the party had fielded her as a candidate after promising the mayoral post to her.