Thiruvananthapuram: Six months ago, BJP councillors in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation turned their historic oath-taking ceremony into a public display of faith and politics, invoking Bharat Mata, Attukal Devi, Gurudevan and RSS ‘martyrs’ during their oath-taking ceremony.
On Wednesday, the Kerala High Court invalidated the oaths taken by 20 BJP councillors and directed them to retake the oath within four weeks, ruling that the statutory oath cannot be altered to accommodate personal beliefs.
Soon after the court verdict, the BJP organised an oath-taking ceremony at the corporation Wednesday evening where 19 councillors retook the oath except R. Sugathan, who is currently lodged in jail.
The invalidated oaths included the one taken by Deputy Mayor Ashanath G.S. in the name of Bharath Matha.
The ruling came was the latest blow to the BJP administration in the corporation amid a series of controversies after capturing the local body for the first time in December last year.
According to the verdict accessed by ThePrint, Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan observed that if an oath is based on a statute, then nobody can add to or substitute any part of it.
The Kerala Municipality Act, 1994, and the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, state that elected members should either take an oath in the name of God or make a solemn affirmation.
“We need not expand God by name. Let the almighty bless all! I leave it there. The upshot of the above discussion is that the writ petitions are to be allowed,” the judge observed.
The High Court’s order came in response to a petition filed by Deepak SP, Parliamentary Party Leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the Corporation Council. The respondents had argued that they believe certain persons and deities are their God.
The high court had directed the corporation to make the necessary arrangements for the councillors to retake the oath within four weeks, observing that committing an illegality would not result in setting aside the election, as the councillors were elected through a democratic process.
Along with the BJP councillors, the High Court also nullified the oath of a village panchayat councillor in Palakkad’s Vadakkencherry, who took the oath in the name of former Congress Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. The oath-taking ceremonies for local bodies were held on 21 December 2025.
Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.V. Rajesh said the BJP would adhere to the order.
“The High Court had earlier too made some observations during the proceedings. I have already spoken to the concerned councillors. The High Court has observed that they should take the oath again, and the BJP administration will continue adhering to the High Court order,” Rajesh said.
A bumpy ride so far
The high court order was the latest blow to the BJP in Thiruvananthapuram, where the urban local body has a significant RSS and BJP base.
The BJP won the corporation by securing 50 of the 101 seats, promising to transform the city into one of the top three Indian cities through infrastructure upgrades, corruption-free administration, and by addressing problems such as the stray dog menace, drainage issues and waste management.
However, it hasn’t been a smooth sail.
Earlier this month, Thiruvananthapuram police arrested BJP councillor R. Sugathan, representing the Vazhottukonam ward, in an attempted murder case related to a clash at a temple festival in March, during which a CPI(M) worker was allegedly attacked with weapons.
Sugathan was detained under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA). Currently lodged in Viyyur Central Prison in Thrissur district, Sugathan soon became the subject of political controversy after the CPI(M) and Congress demanded his disqualification.
Though the BJP has tried to raise the issue politically and protect him, it hasn’t gained much traction due to the seriousness of the allegations and his alleged previous criminal record.
According to Wednesday’s court order, Sugathan will also have to retake the oath.
The party also faced intense scrutiny from the opposition Congress and CPI(M) in early June after several areas of the city experienced waterlogging and flooding. This drew criticism from the LDF over inadequate pre-monsoon clean-up efforts.
Rajesh, however, maintained that many major canals and drains are not directly under corporation control. Both the Congress and CPI(M) have also repeatedly targeted the BJP-led administration over what they say is poor coordination in the city’s waste-management system.
In January, the BJP-led corporation fined the party’s district unit nearly Rs 20 lakh for putting up illegal flex boards across the city ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in the run-up to the local body polls.
The action followed public complaints and directions from the Kerala High Court, which criticised the corporation for its inaction against the illegal installation of flex boards.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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