Kerala witnessed a historic moment as V. V. Rajesh, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was elected as the mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation. This marks the first time the BJP has held the mayoral position in any municipal corporation in Kerala, ending the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) four-decade-long reign in the capital city corporation.

The election saw Rajesh secure 51 votes, gaining support from 50 BJP councillors and one independent candidate. P. Sivaji of the LDF received 29 votes, while K. S. Sabarinathan, the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, secured 19 votes, with two votes declared invalid. The BJP had emerged as the single largest party in the recent election, securing 50 of the 101 seats. They secured a simple majority with the support of Pattoor Radhakrishnan, an independent who won from the Kannammoola ward. The LDF and UDF won 29 and 19 seats respectively. The election in Vizhinjam ward, previously held by the Congress, was postponed due to the death of an independent candidate.

V.V. Rajesh, a 49-year-old lawyer by profession, has been active in politics for over 25 years. He has served as the Thiruvananthapuram district president and state president of the BJP Yuva Morcha. Rajesh, who was elected to the corporation for a second term, represents the Kodunganoor ward.

Following his election, Rajesh emphasized his commitment to making Thiruvananthapuram one of the top three cities in the country. He stated that he would treat all 101 wards of the corporation as a single unit and work collaboratively.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by prominent BJP leaders, including state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi, and former state president K. Surendran. Also in attendance was C.K. Padmanabhan, and CPM's former minister and serving MLA Kadakampally Surendran. Rajeev Chandrasekhar hailed it as a historic day for the party in Kerala. Suresh Gopi expressed that the BJP should have come to power in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation in the 2020 local body elections, and that the obstacles preventing it had been overcome this time.

In other mayoral elections across the state, A. K. Hafeez of the UDF was elected mayor of Kollam Corporation, and V. K. Minimol, a four-time councillor from the UDF, was elected mayor of Kochi Corporation. Niji Justin of the UDF was elected mayor of Thrissur Corporation, although this was followed by internal dissent, with councillor Lali James alleging she was sidelined due to bribery.

This victory is seen as a significant moment for the BJP in Kerala, a state long considered a "red fortress". Anoop Antony Joseph, state BJP general secretary, said that Thiruvananthapuram was treated like "inherited property under Left–Congress dominance for decades". Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the BJP-NDA's mandate in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation as a "watershed moment" in Kerala's politics. The BJP also retained control of Thiruvananthapuram and won in the municipalities of Tripunithura and Palakkad.