UDF names Sabarinadhan as Thiruvananthapuram Mayor candidate
UDF names Sabarinadhan as Thiruvananthapuram Mayor candidate
UDF taps K.S. Sabarinadhan for mayoral race in Thiruvananthapuram, with Mary Pushpam as Deputy Mayor candidate, as BJP remains undecided ahead of Friday vote.
The United Democratic Front has named K.S. Sabarinadhan, a former Congress MLA who won the Kowdiar ward by a narrow margin, as its mayoral candidate for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. The choice signals the UDF’s bid to leverage experience and local recognition as the 101-member council prepares to vote.
The UDF will also nominate Mary Pushpam for the Deputy Mayor post, noting her prior terms as a councillor. The front had shown an improved performance in the local body elections, winning 19 seats, a boost after a downward trend in previous rounds.
Two days ago, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) announced its candidate for the Mayor post as well, selecting long-time councillor R.P. Sivaji, who serves as Vilappil area secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Despite the LDF’s decision, the BJP’s path to an outright majority remains blocked, with the party yet to finalize its Mayoral nominee amid intra-party consultations.
In the background, the council remains short of a majority, and the two independents who won in Kannammoola and Poundkadavu wards have kept their options open. As Friday’s vote approaches, the Mayor’s post is widely viewed as symbolic given the numbers, but it remains a high-stakes test of party strategies and local leadership in the capital city.
