BJP councillor and former Director General of Police (DGP) R Sreelekha on Monday publicly expressed her displeasure at being overlooked for the post of Mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
She said the party had fielded her as a candidate after promising her the mayoral post. However, later in the day, she backtracked from her statement, alleging that the media had distorted her remarks.
In an interview with a YouTube channel, Sreelekha said she had contested the local body elections with the assurance that she would be made mayor. She added that the campaign was built around projecting her as the mayoral candidate. She further said she would continue in her role as a councillor for the next five years.
“I was fielded in the local body elections not just to make me a councillor. The mayor’s post was promised to me. I was reluctant to contest the elections. Until the last minute, my name was being mentioned as a mayoral candidate. However, the central leadership probably felt that V. V. Rajesh might be a better bet for the mayor’s post,” Sreelekha said.
“When the central leadership takes a decision, you can’t just walk away saying ‘no’. There are people who made me win. I have sincerity and loyalty towards them. That is why I decided to continue as a councillor for five years. Maybe it will turn out to be for the better,” she added.
Later on Monday, Sreelekha said in a Facebook post that she was not unhappy at all about not being appointed Mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. She alleged that the media had distorted her remarks and claimed that “dirty journalism” was taking place in Kerala.
“I am proud to work for the great Bharatiya Janata Party. I am a proud party worker, a happy ward councillor, and a dedicated public servant,” she said in the post.