The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday broke new ground in Kerala as VV Rajesh was sworn in as mayor of Thiruvananthapuram. The victory marked the party’s first-ever in a municipal corporation in the state.

Earlier, BJP secured 50 of the 101 wards in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation elections. In the mayoral poll held on Friday, Rajesh won with 51 votes after an independent councillor also supported him along with the BJP members.

According to the new mayor, the development is a “historic moment” and the outcome could trigger a broader political shift in Kerala. “I think that the political change of Thiruvananthapuram will change the entire political situation in Kerala,” he told news agency ANI.

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Who is VV Rajesh?

BJP’s mayoral pick Rajesh is serving his second term as a councillor in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. He won from the Kodunganoor ward in the recent local body elections by a margin of 515 votes. He is a lawyer by profession and currently serves as a BJP state secretary. According to reports, Rajesh is regarded as a seasoned organisational leader in the party.

His political journey spans nearly three decades. Rajesh has previously served as the party’s Thiruvananthapuram district president and as state president of the BJP Yuva Morcha. In the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, he contested from Vattiyoorkavu, finishing second behind CPI (Marxist) leader VK Prasanth.

VV Rajesh’s declared net worth

According to Myneta, Rajesh did his graduation in law from Kerala University in 2000. As per records, in 2021 Rajesh had assets of Rs 1,02,27,708 and nil liabilities. He has seven declared criminal cases against him.

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After being elected mayor, he said he will work towards “transforming Thiruvananthapuram into a developed city” by implementing inclusive development programs. “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 told ANI.