Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 9 (PTI) The BJP has fielded Kerala’s first woman IPS officer R Sreelekha and former India athlete Padmini Thomas as its candidates for the upcoming Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar announced the party’s initial list of candidates for 67 divisions of the Corporation on Sunday.
Sreelekha will contest from the Sasthamangalam division, while Thomas will enter the electoral fray from Palayam.
Sreelekha, 65, the first woman IPS officer in Kerala, retired as DGP in 2020 and later joined the BJP.
Thomas, an Arjuna Award recipient, won silver and bronze medals at the 1982 Asian Games.
She also served as the former president of the Kerala State Sports Council.
A former Congress worker, Thomas joined the BJP in March this year.
The BJP has also given tickets to two other former Congress leaders, former District Congress Committee general secretary Thampanoor Satheesh and K Maheswaran Nair.
BJP state leader V V Rajesh will contest from Kodunganoor.
He had earlier represented the Poojappura division.
In the previous local body elections, the BJP had won 35 out of 100 divisions in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
“We are asking for one chance, not just to rule but to showcase our Developed Ananthapuri Vision. We will unveil this vision in the coming days,” Chandrasekhar said.
He said the BJP aims to make the Kerala capital the best-governed city in India.
“The 67 candidates we announced are ready to serve the people of Thiruvananthapuram at all times. We envisage corruption-free governance that addresses the concerns of all citizens,” he added.
Earlier, the Congress announced its list of candidates, including former MLA KS Sabarinadhan, who is contesting from the Kowdiar division.
The CPI(M) led-LDF, which is currently in power at Thiruvananthapuram Corporation will also announce its candidates soon.
The Election Commission of India is likely to announce the election schedule for local bodies in the coming days. PTI TBA TBA ROH
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.