Retired DGP R. Sreelekha, a BJP councillor in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, is at the centre of a dispute over whether she has resigned and when. One set of reports says she resigns, citing personal inconveniences in a resignation letter dated September 30. Another set of reports says the mayor disputes the circumstances, while also addressing messages attributed to Sreelekha in a residents’ WhatsApp group.
According to reports, Sreelekha’s purported WhatsApp message indicates she submitted her resignation to the mayor and would provide a copy to the district collector on October 5. Mayor V.V. Rajesh says he has received a resignation letter and that discussions are under way. However, one account also says the mayor initially noted that the resignation letter was not forwarded to the corporation secretary, while the corporation’s records reportedly do not reflect any letter from Sreelekha, adding to the confusion.
The outlets also differ in emphasis on political impact. One report links the development to a reduction in the BJP’s tally in the corporation, while others focus more on procedural issues and the contradictions between the WhatsApp message, the mayor’s claims, and the corporation secretary’s position.
