'My old friend', PM Modi’s words for Kerala’s first BJP mayor draw attention in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 23 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pointed and personal reference to Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.V. Rajesh during his public address on Friday has drawn political attention, particularly in the backdrop of the Mayor’s absence from the list of dignitaries who received the Prime Minister at the airport.

As per established protocol, visiting dignitaries arriving in the state capital are usually received by the Mayor.

However, when Prime Minister Modi landed in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, Mayor V.V. Rajesh was not present at the airport reception.

It was later clarified that Rajesh had been included among the dignitaries on the dais with the Prime Minister at both programmes held in the city and was therefore not part of the airport reception team.

What stood out, however, was the Prime Minister’s affectionate reference to the Mayor during his speech.

PM Modi described Rajesh as “the pride of Thiruvananthapuram” and “my old friend”, a remark that resonated strongly with party workers and supporters present at the venue.

The reference was widely seen as a deliberate acknowledgement of Rajesh’s political journey and his significance to the BJP in Kerala.

V.V. Rajesh, who has risen through the party ranks, previously served as the state president of the BJP’s youth wing, the Yuva Morcha, and later as the party’s district president in Thiruvananthapuram.

It was with this long association in mind, observers noted, that the Prime Minister referred to him as a friend while highlighting his elevation to the post of Mayor.

Rajesh’s election marked a historic moment, as he became the first BJP Mayor in Kerala following the party’s breakthrough victory in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.

Notably, while PM Modi chose to single out Rajesh by name, he did not explicitly mention the party's state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar or Union Minister of State George Kurian, both of whom were present on the dais.

The Prime Minister’s emphasis on Rajesh’s rise to the mayoral post was widely interpreted as a symbolic endorsement of the BJP’s organisational growth at the grassroots level in the state.

The remarks added a personal and political layer to the Prime Minister’s visit, underlining the significance the BJP attaches to its first major civic victory in Kerala.

And the highlight was when he left the first venue, he held Rajesh by his shoulders and walked with him a few steps.