In a major breakthrough for the BJP in Kerala politics, BJP State Secretary and Kodunganoor ward councillor V.V. Rajesh was elected Mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation on Friday.

Rajesh secured 51 votes, backed by 50 BJP councillors and one independent, defeating LDF’s RP Shivaji, who got 29 votes, and UDF’s KS Sabarinathan, who secured 17.

Speaking with ANI, newly elected mayor Rajesh described it as a “historic moment” that’ll shift Kerala’s politics.

“This is a historic moment, and I think this moment will change the political situation of Kerala… I think that the political change of Thiruvananthapuram will change the entire political situation in Kerala,” said Rajesh.

“We will move forward, taking everyone along. Development programmes will be implemented by treating all 101 wards equally. Thiruvananthapuram will be transformed into one of the developed cities of the country,” he added.

Rajesh’s win signals a new chapter for the BJP’s urban politics in Kerala.

Meanwhile, BJP candidate and Karumam ward councillor GS Asha Nath has been elected as the Deputy Mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.

Union Minister and BJP leader Suresh Gopi also called it a “historic moment” for the people of Thiruvananthapuram, saying their long-cherished aspirations have finally found political expression and will be realised through governance aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.

“We will prove the strength of Modi’s governance in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. This will have political repercussions not just in Kerala but across the southern states,” Gopi said, ANI reported.

The outcome marks a significant shift in the political landscape of the state capital, long regarded as a bastion of the Left and Congress-led alliances. The BJP’s victory in Thiruvananthapuram is being viewed as a morale booster ahead of upcoming local body and Assembly elections in Kerala.