R Sreelekha is Keralam’s first woman IPS officer. She retired in 2020 as director general of the Kerala Fire and Rescue Service and was the first woman IPS officer in Kerala to attain DGP rank. (File Photo)The BJP in Keralam has managed to avert a potential crisis in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation after councillor R Sreelekha, a former DGP, said she has not quit the party – a week after she declared that she was resigning from the post.“I am a Modi bhakt, I have not quit the party. I will continue as a proud councillor. I am not going to any party,” Sreelekha wrote on social media on Sunday, breaking her silence a week after handing over her resignation letter to Mayor V V Rajesh.“When I was at the hospital (last week), senior BJP leaders met and consoled me. They told me that I should not leave (the party). I have not dreamed about the post of the chairperson of the National Women’s Panel,” she said, referring to speculations after her resignation.The first woman IPS officer in Keralam, Sreelekha joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) two years ago and went on to become one of its state vice-presidents.She is believed to have been sulking since January after she lost out to Rajesh in the race for the mayor’s post.Her decision to step down as a councillor came as a rude shock for the BJP, which is ruling the 101-member civic body with 51 councillors, one of them being an Independent. Had Sreelekha remained adamant on stepping down, the BJP’s strength would have dipped to 49.BJP had bagged the corporation last December, ending the 45-year-long regime of the CPI(M).Story continues below this adThe victory had been celebrated by the party across the country with national leaders projecting the feat as the BJP’s stepping stone towards ruling Keralam.After the elections, Sreelekha had told the media that she had contested the election with the expectation of becoming mayor. She also said that the BJP had presented her as its mayoral face during the campaign.Speaking to the media in January this year, Sreelekha said: “I was reluctant to contest the elections, but I agreed following the assurance that I would be made a mayor… The leadership said I was the face of the party in the elections to the corporation, and I was presented before TV channels in that manner. However, at the last minute, things changed for some reason.”Sreelekha said, “I accept the decision of the leadership and am not going to debate over it… I cannot walk out in protest against the decision. There are people who have voted for me. Hence, I decided to continue as a councillor for five years. I am not going to contest the Assembly elections,” she had said.Story continues below this adSreelekha, subsequently, contested the Assembly election from Vattiyoorkavu, where Congress candidate K Muraleedharan won. Sreelekha finished third, behind the CPI(M) candidate.(Edited by )Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on InstagramTags:Kerala