R Sreelekha says BJP broke promise to make her TVM Mayor
Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links. R Sreelekha, a former IPS officer and currently Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor in Thiruvananthapuram, openly expressed her disappointment on Monday, January 5, over the party's decision not to make her the Mayor. She stated that she had initially been offered the top post. In an interview with the YouTube channel Kerala Today, Sreelekha stated that the BJP also highlighted her candidacy as mayoral candidate during the election.“I was fielded in the local body elections, not just to make me a councillor but with a promise that I would be the Mayor,” She said.Sreelekha said she was reluctant to enter the contest and was asked to do the election campaigns for 10 candidates. Later, she agreed to the party's decision to field her.“I was the one who agreed to go for media debates. Until the last minute, my name was being mentioned as a Mayor candidate. However, due to unknown reasons, things changed at the last minute. As per my understanding the Central leadership probably felt that VV Rajesh might be a better bet as Mayor and Asha as a better deputy Mayor,” she said.Sreelekha said she agrees with the central leadership decision. “I can't discontinue and run away, as there are people who made me win the election. I accepted the decision and decided to continue as a councillor for the five years, as I am committed to the people who voted for me,” she said.After the remarks became a controversy, she clarified that she was not dissatisfied and was only narrating the chain of events earlier. She also clarified that she has no information about the speculations on her candidature in the Assembly elections. Sreelekha won the Sasthalamgalam ward of the Thiruvananthapuram corporation, defeating CPI(M)’s Amrita R by 708 votes.BJP emerged as the single largest party in the 101-member Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, winning 50 seats. Later, the former district president, VV Rajesh, became Mayor, and Councillor Asha Nath was selected as deputy mayor.Sreelekha was the first woman IPS officer from the Kerala cadre when she joined the service in 1987. She retired in 2020 and joined the BJP.
Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
R SREELEKHA, a former IPS officer and currently Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor in Thiruvananthapuram, openly expressed her disappointment on Monday, January 5, over the party's decision not to make her the Mayor. She stated that she had initially been offered the top post.
In an interview with the YouTube channel Kerala Today, Sreelekha stated that the BJP also highlighted her candidacy as the mayoral candidate during the election.
“I was fielded in the local body elections, not just to make me a councillor but with a promise that I would be the Mayor,” She said.
Sreelekha said she was reluctant to enter the contest and was asked to do the election campaigns for 10 candidates. Later, she agreed to the party's decision to field her.
“I was the one who agreed to go for media debates. Until the last minute, my name was being mentioned as a Mayor candidate. However, due to unknown reasons, things changed at the last minute. As per my understanding, the Central leadership probably felt that VV Rajesh might be a better bet as Mayor and Asha as a better deputy Mayor,” she said.
Sreelekha said she agrees with the central leadership decision. “I can't discontinue and run away, as there are people who made me win the election. I accepted the decision and decided to continue as a councillor for the five years, as I am committed to the people who voted for me,” she said.
After the remarks became a controversy, she clarified that she was not dissatisfied and was only narrating the chain of events earlier. She also clarified that she has no information about the speculations on her candidature in the Assembly elections.
Sreelekha won the Sasthalamgalam ward of the Thiruvananthapuram corporation, defeating CPI(M)’s Amrita R by 708 votes.
BJP emerged as the single largest party in the 101-member Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, winning 50 seats. Later, the former district president, VV Rajesh, became Mayor, and Councillor Asha Nath was selected as deputy mayor.
Sreelekha was the first woman IPS officer from the Kerala cadre when she joined the service in 1987. She retired in 2020 and joined the BJP.
