CPI(M) MLA, BJP councillor spar over office space, bury hatchet later
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): A ruling CPI (M) MLA and a newly elected BJP councillor on Sunday sparred over an office space located in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation building, before shaking hands over the matter and burying the hatchet.
Vattiyoorkavu MLA V K Prasanth told reporters that councillor R Sreelekha contacted him over the phone and asked him to vacate his office in the Corporation's building in Sasthamangalam.
Sreelekha, a retired DGP, won the recent local body election on a BJP ticket. Responding to the MLA, she said she made a humble request to him regarding the issue.
The saffron party won 50 of the 101 divisions in the city, ending four decades of Left stronghold over the city civic body.
"She contacted me asking to vacate my office. She said the councillor's office in the same building does not have adequate facilities and that she wants to occupy the space currently used by the MLA," Prasanth said.
He said his MLA office has been functioning in the building for the past seven years and that earlier a BJP councillor had also used a portion of the same building as an office.
"When I was the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram, a decision was taken to allow office space for ward councillors. After becoming MLA, I submitted an application to the Corporation and the space was allotted on rent," he added.
ALSO READ: Eviction row: Is Cong leader Venugopal 'super CM' of K'taka, asks state BJP
Prasanth said the procedure requires the Corporation Secretary to issue an eviction notice.
"Here, a councillor is directly calling an MLA and demanding eviction. This is like handling things the way it is done in a police station," he alleged.
He likened the move to "Bulldozer Raj", claiming that policies adopted by the BJP in some north Indian states were being replicated in Thiruvananthapuram.
When asked whether his office had occupied space meant for the ward councillor, Prasanth admitted that some additional space was being used due to the large number of people visiting his office.
"The councillor's office is functioning there and a name board has been installed in front of the room. Councillors rarely use the space and mostly function from the Corporation office," he claimed.
"If the councillor has any complaint, it can be examined. We have the right to function in the allotted space until the agreement period expires," Prasanth contended.
He said the office has been allotted to him till March 31, 2026, and that he has applied for an extension till the end of the current Assembly term in May next year.
Prasanth said he does not believe the councillor took the decision on her own.
"She may have consulted others before contacting me. I informed her that the space has been allotted till March next year and cannot be vacated before that. If they want immediate eviction, they can take legal steps and we will face it legally," he said.
Sreelekha later clarified that she had only made a humble request to Prasanth, citing lack of adequate space in the Corporation building.
"I consider him like a brother. I only requested him politely as I do not have enough space to operate my office and meet the public. I requested him to vacate the space, but he objected to it," she claimed while speaking to reporters.
Sreelekha said she was not aware whether there was any official order allotting the space to the Left legislator and that the matter needed to be verified.
"The MLA has official quarters nearby and can operate an office elsewhere. In my case, though I am the councillor of the Sasthamangalam division, my residence falls in another division. So I need an office here to meet the public," she said.
Sreelekha said she harboured no personal grudge against Prasanth and continued to regard him as a brother.
"I will set up an office in the building as I need to meet the people," she said.
Later, Sreelekha met Prasanth at his office.
Both discussed the issue and shook hands.
After the meeting, Sreelekha said she had no objection to Prasanth continuing to function from the office.
Prasanth, in turn, said he had no issue with Sreelekha operating her office in another room in the same building.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
LIVE | Election Results of five states 2026
New Delhi: The countdown has begun for the counting of votes for the Assembly elections in five states that have captured the attention of people across the country.
The counting of votes for the Assembly constituencies of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry will begin simultaneously at 8 am, and the fate of candidates in a total of 824 constituencies will be decided shortly.
The counting of postal ballots will take place first, followed by the counting of EVM votes in several rounds.
► AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami is leading in Tamil Nadu’s Edappadi constituency
► In Puducherry, BJP is leading in 3 seats.
► In Assam, BJP is leading in 56 seats, while Congress is leading in 12 seats.
► Suvendhu Adhikari leads in both Bhabanipur and Nandigram
► West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee faces setback in Bhabanipur constituency
► Bhupen Borah, who recently left Congress and joined the BJP, is leading in Assam’s Bihpuria constituency
► Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is leading in Jalukabari constituency
► BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is leading in West Bengal’s Nandigram constituencyFive-state elections: Postal vote counting begins
► TMC, BJP lead in one seat each in West Bengal
► In Tamil Nadu, DMK leads in 3 constituencies, while TVK leads in 1
► UDF leads in 5 seats in Kerala, BJP in 1, LDF in 1
► BJP leads in 2 seats, AIUDF in 1 in Assam
► AINRC leads in 1 constituency in Puducherry
► TMC leads in 5 seats in West Bengal; Mamata Banerjee’s party maintains initial lead
► Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin leads in Kolathur
► BJP takes early lead in Assam
► Congress-led UDF leads in Kerala
► Tamil Nadu, TVK chief Vijay leads in the Perambur constituency, lags in Tiruchirappalli South
► BJP leads in 10 seats in Assam
► LDF candidate V.P.P. Mustafa leads in the Thrikkaripur Assembly constituency
► Out of 294 seats in West Bengal, BJP is leading in 14 seats, TMC in 12 seats, Congress in 2 seats
► Out of 234 seats in Tamil Nadu, DMK is leading in 15 seats, AIADMK is leading in 5 seats, TVK is leading in 2 seats
► Out of 126 seats in Assam, BJP is leading in 31 seats, Congress in 4 seats, AIUDF in 2 seats.
► Out of 30 seats in Puducherry, NRC+ is leading in 3 seats, Congress in 2 seats, TVK in 1 seat.
► Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury suffers a setback in theBerhampore constituency in West Bengal.
