The issue came to light after a message purportedly posted by Sreelekha in a WhatsApp group of residents of her ward said she had submitted her resignation to the Mayor and would hand over a copy to the District Collector on October 5.
Rajesh had earlier told reporters that he received the letter on September 30 and that he has not forwarded it to the Corporation Secretary, who is the competent authority to accept the resignation.
He had also said that personal inconveniences were cited in the letter.
However, on Sunday, Rajesh said no resignation letter existed.
“Who told you that she has given the resignation letter? She will continue and I have said it yesterday itself,” he said.
Asked about the message allegedly posted by Sreelekha in the WhatsApp group, he did not respond directly.”You want the governance to take place smoothly. As all desire, the governance will go forward strongly,” he said, ruling out any crisis in the corporation.
He said councillors regularly submitted letters seeking fund sanctions for their respective wards and raising operational matters.
“Such a letter was given to me for the smooth operations in the ward. As she is a ruling councillor, I find that some of the matters cited in it require the party’s intervention. Some have to be done by the Mayor. We will address the matters as in letters given by other councillors,” he said.
Rajesh said Sreelekha would continue as councillor and complete her five-year tenure.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader and former minister V Sivankutty launched a scathing attack on Sreelekha, saying she cannot be trusted.
“Nothing that Sreelekha says can be believed. Not only that, she will resort to any threat to secure position and power. This should only be viewed as a threat directed at the BJP to gain new positions,” he said.
Responding to a reporter’s question that Sreelekha was creating pressure to move to the Congress, Sivankutty said some leaders would naturally move to places where they receive greater benefits.
“Naturally, some go where there is greater benefit. They will move to wherever they get the maximum advantage,” he said.
Sreelekha is yet to respond to the resignation issue and the allegations raised by the Opposition.
The BJP came to power in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for the first time last year, securing the support of 51 councillors, including an Independent, in the 101-member civic body.
Sreelekha won the election on a BJP ticket from the Sasthamangalam ward of the Corporation in the local body election held last year.
Sreelekha’s continuation as a BJP councillor is crucial for the party, as it has only a narrow majority in the Corporation due to the support of an Independent councillor.
She is currently the state vice president of the BJP.
Sreelekha contested the Assembly election from Vattiyoorkavu in April but lost to Congress leader K Muraleedharan.
