Tiff between ex-DGP-turned BJP councillor and CPI-M legislator takes new turn

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 2 A political storm that broke out in Sasthamangalam in the heart of the state capital has taken a fresh turn, with BJP ward councillor R. Sreelekha and CPI-M MLA V.K. Prasanth continuing to trade barbs on Friday.

The row traces its roots to last month’s Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections, when the BJP registered a stunning victory, ending more than four decades of CPI(M)-led Left rule in the civic body.

Sreelekha, who retired from the Kerala Police as Director General of Police (DGP), on Friday installed her name board directly above that of MLA V.K. Prasanth at their local office in Sasthamangalam.

The move has drawn sharp attention not merely for reviving an old tiff, but also for the symbolic challenge it poses to political protocol, under which an MLA ranks significantly higher than a ward councillor.

The controversy centres on an ongoing dispute over the ownership and use of the Sasthamangalam office, a space that has repeatedly emerged as a flashpoint for public confrontation between the two leaders.

The building is owned by the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, and Sreelekha has objected to Prasanth operating his office from the premises, arguing that the MLA already has space allotted at the legislators’ hostel in the city.

Sreelekha herself brought the episode into the public domain by sharing photographs of the newly installed name board on her Facebook page, ensuring immediate political traction and debate.

The images quickly went viral, triggering discussions on hierarchy, decorum and the optics of elected representatives asserting authority in shared public spaces.

This is not the first time the Sasthamangalam office has generated controversy. Earlier disputes between Prasanth and Sreelekha over the premises had escalated into wider political arguments, drawing party leaderships and the public into the fray.

The latest development, therefore, is being viewed as a continuation of a rivalry that has shown little sign of settling.

Adding another dimension to the row, Sreelekha released a video statement responding to a complaint reportedly filed against her with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

According to her, the complaint, submitted by a lawyer, alleges that she trespassed into the MLA’s office. She said the Chief Minister forwarded the complaint to the State Police Chief for further action.

Questioning the intent behind the move, Sreelekha alleged that the complaint was filed by a “Communist lawyer” and described the escalation as an attempt to intimidate her.

Together, the name board controversy and the complaint have once again thrust Sasthamangalam into the political spotlight, underscoring how unresolved personal and political rivalries can spill into symbolic acts that challenge convention and keep tensions alive.

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