BJP Rules Out Sreelekha’s Resignation, Says She Will Continue As Councillor

Thiruvananthapuram: A day after a resignation letter purportedly submitted by former DGP R Sreelekha as a councillor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation came to light, the BJP on Sunday ruled out any such development, with Mayor V V Rajesh and party state general secretary S Suresh asserting that she would continue in her position.

The issue surfaced after a message purportedly posted by Sreelekha in a WhatsApp group of residents of her ward said she had submitted her resignation to the Mayor and would hand over a copy to the District Collector on October 5.

Rajesh had earlier told reporters that he received the letter on September 30 and that he has not forwarded it to the Corporation Secretary, who is the competent authority to accept the resignation.

He had also said that personal inconveniences were cited in the letter.

However, on Sunday, Rajesh said no resignation letter existed.

"Who told you that she has given the resignation letter? She will continue and I have said it yesterday itself," he said.

Asked about the message allegedly posted by Sreelekha in the WhatsApp group, he did not respond directly.

"You want the governance to take place smoothly. As all desire, the governance will go forward strongly," he said, ruling out any crisis in the corporation.

He said councillors regularly submitted letters seeking fund sanctions for their respective wards and raising operational matters.

"Such a letter was given to me for the smooth operations in the ward. As she is a ruling councillor, I find that some of the matters cited in it require the party's intervention. Some have to be done by the Mayor. We will address the matters as in letters given by other councillors," he said.

Rajesh said Sreelekha would continue as councillor and complete her five-year tenure.

On the other hand, Suresh made a Facebook post on Sunday afternoon with a picture of him visiting Sreelekha at a hospital, saying she was unwell and had only expressed concerns about her ability to discharge her responsibilities.

Suresh said he visited Sreelekha at a hospital and that she had been suffering from physical discomfort for the past few days.

"She is worried about whether she will be able to discharge her responsibilities as a public representative properly because of her health condition. She had only brought this to the attention of those closest to her. Unfortunately, it became a subject of media discussion," he said.

"The news that R Sreelekha has resigned is not true," Suresh added.

He criticised media reports suggesting that Sreelekha might join another political party or was bargaining with the BJP for a post, saying such speculation was unbecoming.

Suresh also dismissed reports that the BJP's control of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation was under threat.

"Some have started daydreaming that the BJP's rule in the Corporation will collapse. They can keep dreaming. Thiruvananthapuram will be ruled by the BJP not just for five years but beyond that," he said.

Suresh said Sreelekha, the first woman IPS officer and DGP in Keralam has consistently maintained her commitment to the party.

Describing her as a woman and a mother who was not a conventional politician, he said she had always fought against corruption and had no illicit assets.

Suresh expressed hope that Sreelekha would recover her health soon and continue serving the people.

State vice president K Soman, district president Karamana Jayan and Mayor V V Rajesh also visited her at the hospital, he said.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader and former minister V Sivankutty launched a scathing attack on Sreelekha, saying she cannot be trusted.

"Nothing that Sreelekha says can be believed. Not only that, she will resort to any threat to secure position and power. This should only be viewed as a threat directed at the BJP to gain new positions," he said.

Responding to a reporter's question that Sreelekha was creating pressure to move to the Congress, Sivankutty said some leaders would naturally move to places where they receive greater benefits.

"Naturally, some go where there is greater benefit. They will move to wherever they get the maximum advantage," he said.

Sreelekha is yet to respond to the resignation issue and the allegations raised by the Opposition.

The BJP came to power in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for the first time last year, securing the support of 51 councillors, including an Independent, in the 101-member civic body.

Sreelekha won the election on a BJP ticket from the Sasthamangalam ward of the Corporation in the local body election held last year.

Sreelekha's continuation as a BJP councillor is crucial for the party, as it has only a narrow majority in the Corporation due to the support of an Independent councillor.

She is currently the state vice president of the BJP.

Sreelekha contested the Assembly election from Vattiyoorkavu in April but lost to Congress leader K Muraleedharan.