THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP will hold a meeting on Wednesday to discuss and finalise its candidates for the mayor and deputy mayor posts. The meeting will be attended by senior party leaders and NDA councillors, after which the party is likely to announce its candidates, sources said.
Party insiders said the BJP has almost finalised councillor R Sreelekha for the mayor’s post and senior councillor Manju G S for the deputy mayor’s post.
However, senior leaders maintained that a final decision would be taken only after consultations with councillors at Wednesday’s meeting.
With the BJP almost securing the support of an independent councillor, the party is confident of ensuring victory for its mayor and deputy mayor nominees.
Responding to queries on the possibility of last-minute changes, a senior BJP leader said, “We have already conducted multiple meetings on these matters. However, we are always open to revisiting decisions, and the central leadership has given us the freedom to do so.”
Senior leaders also said the meeting would discuss broader issues, including preparations for development in each ward.
“The meeting is crucial to finalise our mayor and deputy mayor candidates. Whether the public announcement will be made on Wednesday will be decided by the state president. In addition, we will consider suggestions from councillors on ward-level development, which will be incorporated into the NDA’s development blueprint for the city,” an NDA block councillor said.
The councillor added that the development blueprint would be unveiled within 45 days of assuming power, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders.
With the Congress and the Left preparing to put up a strong fight for the mayor and deputy mayor posts, the BJP leadership is proceeding cautiously. It will become clear on Wednesday whether the party will announce its candidates or maintain the suspense till Friday.