BJP breaches Left bastion: Meet R Sreelekha, Kerala's first woman DGP and likely mayor of Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram had remained a Left fortress for over four decades before being breached by the BJP.
- Dec 14, 2025,
- Updated Dec 14, 2025 7:38 AM IST
The Bharatita Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday stunned the ruling LDF and the Congress-led UDF by winning the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation in the civic body polls, a massive upset in Kerala. With the saffron party securing a victory, the big question now is whether Kerala's first woman IPS officer, R Sreelekha, will become the BJP’s maiden mayor in the state capital.
Thiruvananthapuram had remained a Left fortress for over four decades before being breached by the BJP.
The counting of votes polled in the two-phase elections held earlier this week was taken up on Saturday. The BJP-led NDA achieved a resounding win in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation polls, snatching it from the CPI(M)-led LDF and ending 45 years of continuous Left rule in the local body.
Of the 101 wards in the corporation, the BJP alone won 50, the LDF 29, the UDF 19, while two were won by independent candidates.
Winning from the Sasthamangalam division of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Sreelekha has been projected as the face of the BJP-led NDA for the mayoral post—a key priority for the saffron party, which put up an impressive show in a state dominated by Congress- and Left-led blocs for decades.
"I have come to know that no candidate has secured such a lead in the Sasthamangalam ward before....we thank the people for the verdict," she said, thanking voters for the win. Asked whether she would become the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram, she said that the party would decide on the matter.
Born in Thiruvananthapuram, Sreelekha became Kerala’s first woman IPS officer in January 1987. During a career spanning over three decades, she headed police units in several districts of the state and also served in the CBI, the Kerala Crime Branch, Vigilance, the Fire Force, the Motor Vehicles Department, and the Prison Department.
In 2017, Sreelekha was promoted as Director General of Police, becoming the first woman to be elevated to the rank in Kerala. She retired in December 2020, concluding over 33 years in public service.
She has remained in the news even after retirement, particularly for her remarks claiming that actor Dileep was falsely implicated in the 2017 actress sexual assault case. She recently questioned the delay in filing a sexual harassment complaint against expelled Congress leader Rahul Mamkootathil. Sreelekha joined the BJP in October 2024, saying she was influenced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Bharatita Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday stunned the ruling LDF and the Congress-led UDF by winning the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation in the civic body polls, a massive upset in Kerala. With the saffron party securing a victory, the big question now is whether Kerala's first woman IPS officer, R Sreelekha, will become the BJP’s maiden mayor in the state capital.
Thiruvananthapuram had remained a Left fortress for over four decades before being breached by the BJP.
The counting of votes polled in the two-phase elections held earlier this week was taken up on Saturday. The BJP-led NDA achieved a resounding win in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation polls, snatching it from the CPI(M)-led LDF and ending 45 years of continuous Left rule in the local body.
Of the 101 wards in the corporation, the BJP alone won 50, the LDF 29, the UDF 19, while two were won by independent candidates.
Winning from the Sasthamangalam division of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Sreelekha has been projected as the face of the BJP-led NDA for the mayoral post—a key priority for the saffron party, which put up an impressive show in a state dominated by Congress- and Left-led blocs for decades.
"I have come to know that no candidate has secured such a lead in the Sasthamangalam ward before....we thank the people for the verdict," she said, thanking voters for the win. Asked whether she would become the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram, she said that the party would decide on the matter.
Born in Thiruvananthapuram, Sreelekha became Kerala’s first woman IPS officer in January 1987. During a career spanning over three decades, she headed police units in several districts of the state and also served in the CBI, the Kerala Crime Branch, Vigilance, the Fire Force, the Motor Vehicles Department, and the Prison Department.
In 2017, Sreelekha was promoted as Director General of Police, becoming the first woman to be elevated to the rank in Kerala. She retired in December 2020, concluding over 33 years in public service.
She has remained in the news even after retirement, particularly for her remarks claiming that actor Dileep was falsely implicated in the 2017 actress sexual assault case. She recently questioned the delay in filing a sexual harassment complaint against expelled Congress leader Rahul Mamkootathil. Sreelekha joined the BJP in October 2024, saying she was influenced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.