Thiruvananthapuram Corporation oath row turns violent, woman councillor injured
Synopsis
A Kerala High Court ruling invalidating the oaths of 20 BJP councillors in Thiruvananthapuram has snowballed into physical clashes at the Corporation office, with a CPI-M woman councillor hospitalised. The Opposition now argues the Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections themselves are void — turning a procedural dispute into a full constitutional crisis for the city's civic body.
Key Takeaways
The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation witnessed clashes on 25 June between BJP and LDF councillors over an oath-taking dispute.
CPI-M councillor Sindhu Sasi of Kattayikonam ward sustained a head injury and was hospitalised.
The Kerala High Court on 24 June invalidated the oaths of 20 BJP councillors who had sworn by deities and martyrs instead of the statutory form.
The councillors re-took oaths within hours, but the LDF and UDF allege the re-oath was conducted without notice or Opposition presence.
The Opposition contends that the re-oath retroactively invalidates the Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections and has demanded fresh polls to both posts.
Left councillors have launched a relay protest strike inside the Corporation office.
The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation descended into chaos on Thursday, 25 June, as a festering political and legal dispute over the oath-taking of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillors erupted into physical clashes between ruling and Opposition members on the Corporation premises, leaving a woman councillor with a head injury.
How the Confrontation Unfolded
Mayor V.V. Rajesh, a senior BJP leader, arrived at the Corporation office amid a sit-in protest by Left Democratic Front (LDF) councillors demanding the resignation of BJP councillors. The LDF had laid siege to the Mayor's office, and when Rajesh attempted to enter the building, LDF councillors moved to physically block him. BJP councillors intervened, triggering pushing and shoving between the rival groups. Police personnel struggled to contain the situation as tempers flared inside the premises.
Sindhu Sasi, the CPI-M councillor from Kattayikonam ward, sustained a head injury during the melee and was rushed to hospital. BJP leaders, meanwhile, claimed that several of their councillors as well as the Mayor were also injured in the confrontation.
What the Mayor Said
After forcing his way into the office, Mayor Rajesh accused the Opposition of resorting to hooliganism and questioned the LDF's authority to prevent an elected mayor from discharging his constitutional duties. 'Even ordinary citizens were prevented from entering the office. Such actions cannot be allowed in a democratic institution,' he said.
The Legal Trigger: Kerala High Court Ruling
The immediate trigger was a Kerala High Court judgment on Wednesday, 24 June, which set aside the oaths taken by 20 BJP councillors who had sworn in the names of their preferred deities and martyrs rather than in the prescribed statutory form. The court directed them to take fresh oaths, which they did within hours, swearing 'in the name of God.'
However, both the LDF and the United Democratic Front (UDF) contend that the re-oath ceremony was conducted without proper notice and in the absence of Opposition councillors, rendering it procedurally flawed. This comes amid a broader pattern of civic-body oath controversies in Kerala that have repeatedly tested the boundaries between religious expression and statutory procedure.
The Political Stakes: Mayor and Deputy Mayor Elections in Question
The Opposition argues that the renewed qualification of the 20 councillors retrospectively alters the composition of the Council at the time of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections, making those elections invalid. Both the LDF and UDF have demanded fresh elections to both posts. Left councillors have launched a relay protest strike inside the Corporation office, signalling that the standoff is far from over.
What began as a procedural legal dispute has now transformed into a full-blown political confrontation, with the future of the elected leadership of Thiruvananthapuram's civic body hanging in the balance.
Point of View
Elected bodies can be paralysed entirely. The BJP's decision to re-take oaths swiftly — without Opposition presence — may have satisfied the court's directive in letter but has handed the LDF and UDF a potent procedural weapon. The deeper question mainstream coverage is underplaying is whether the High Court's ruling, combined with the re-oath controversy, creates a legally actionable basis to nullify the Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections — a scenario that could trigger a prolonged governance vacuum in Kerala's capital city. The violence on Thursday suggests neither side is willing to let courts alone decide this.
NationPress
25 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did clashes break out at Thiruvananthapuram Corporation on 25 June?
Clashes erupted after LDF councillors blocked Mayor V.V. Rajesh from entering the Corporation office during a protest over the BJP councillors' oath controversy. BJP councillors intervened, leading to pushing and shoving; CPI-M councillor Sindhu Sasi sustained a head injury.
What did the Kerala High Court rule on the BJP councillors' oaths?
The Kerala High Court on 24 June set aside the oaths of 20 BJP councillors who had sworn in the names of their preferred deities and martyrs rather than in the legally prescribed statutory form. The court directed them to take fresh oaths, which they did within hours.
Why does the Opposition say the Mayor's election is invalid?
Both the LDF and UDF argue that since the 20 BJP councillors were disqualified at the time of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections — and their re-oath was conducted without proper notice or Opposition presence — the council's composition at the time of those elections was irregular, rendering the results void. They have demanded fresh elections to both posts.
Who was injured in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation clashes?
CPI-M councillor Sindhu Sasi from Kattayikonam ward sustained a head injury during the confrontation and was rushed to hospital. BJP leaders also claimed that several of their councillors and the Mayor were injured.
What happens next in the Thiruvananthapuram oath row?
Left councillors are continuing a relay protest strike inside the Corporation office. The dispute is likely to return to the courts, with the Opposition's challenge to the validity of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections expected to be a key legal battleground going forward.
