Within the LDF, seat-sharing has been settled, with the CPI contesting 17 wards and the CPI(M) expected to field around 75 candidates.
Published Nov 10, 2025 | 10:30 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 10, 2025 | 10:30 AM
Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
Synopsis: With the local body elections approaching in Kerala, both the UDF and BJP have released their candidate lists for the Thiruvananthapuram corporation. The LDF is also expected to announce its lineup after a short delay due to seat-sharing talks.
With the local body elections approaching in Kerala, both the UDF and BJP have released their candidate lists for the Thiruvananthapuram corporation. At the same time, the LDF is expected to announce its lineup on Monday, 10 November, after a short delay due to seat-sharing talks.
The Congress has named former MLA K Sabarinathan as its mayoral candidate. The BJP, led by state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, unveiled its list featuring former Director General of Police (DGP) R Sreelekha and former sports council president Padmini Thomas, who will contest from Palayam.
The Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) will also announce 20 candidates on Monday, expressing concern about limited consultation during the selection process.
Within the LDF, seat-sharing has been settled, with the CPI contesting 17 wards and the CPI(M) expected to field around 75 candidates.
Over 50 names will likely be released on Monday, including SP Deepak, Vandithadam Madhu, SA Sundar, RP Shivaji, Vanchiyoor Babu, and K Sreekumar. The list will be submitted to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for approval before the announcement.
The CPI will publish its full list on Monday, while candidate announcements for other local bodies in the district are expected within two days.
Holding sway over more than one hundred wards and carrying the prestige of the Kerala capital, the mayor’s post in Thiruvananthapuram is no ordinary position. The title brings not only administrative power but also celebrity status, often making the mayor more recognisable than even MLAs.
Since the formation of the Thiruvananthapuram Municipality in 1920 and its elevation to a Corporation in 1940, the politics surrounding this post have always gripped the state’s attention. Each election here has been marked by fierce competition and high political drama.
In 2020, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation made national headlines when the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s [CPI(M)] Arya Rajendran became India’s youngest mayor at just twenty-one, surpassing Kollam’s Sabitha Beegum, who had held the record at twenty-three.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman.)
