Ruling BJP’s plan to construct a new building for Thiruvananthapuram Corporation office faces resistance from Opposition - The HinduPublished - August 03, 2026 09:01 pm IST - THIRUVANANTHAPURAMThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led administration’s plan for a grand new building for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation with a few floors set aside for commercial purposes could run into rough weather with the Opposition parties, which has questioned the sudden announcement without any consultations. The announcement came out of the blue in the previous council meeting on Friday, which witnessed protests by the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) and United Democratic Front (UDF) over the granting of leave to BJP councillor R. Sugathan, who is currently lodged in Viyyur Central Jail under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA). Mayor V.V.Rajesh announced that the proposal was discussed by the Steering Committee and invited a representative of an architects’ consortium to make a presentation. The proposed building, which was dubbed a “shopping mall” by the Opposition, is to be built after dismantling the existing structure located in a 2.6 acre plot at Palayam. With a total built up area of 6 lakh square feet, a couple of basement floors are to be set aside for parking. The most contentious proposal is regarding 2-3 floors which are to be set aside for commercial purposes for revenue generation. The existing council hall to seat 101 councillors will be expanded to include 200 seats. Following the presentation, BJP councillor V.G.Girikumar made a statement welcoming the move. However, when LDF council party leader S.P.Deepak rose up to speak, the Mayor refused to give permission and insisted that Mr.Sugathan’s leave application should be taken up first. Although UDF councillor K.S.Sabarinadhan also said that Mr.Deepak should be allowed to speak, the Mayor stood adamant on his stand. However, no discussion was possible after that since the granting of leave through a voice vote led to huge protests. Mr.Deepak told The Hindu on Monday that the ruling party had not discussed the building proposal with the Opposition before it was presented in the council. He said that the LDF will oppose the move as a luxurious building should not be the priority for the civic body. “What is the need for such a building spending ₹300 crore of the Corporation’s own funds? Even if we manage to get some funds through Corporation Social Responsibility (CSR), it could be used for other purposes. The Corporation’s priority should be to take care of the basic needs of the common population and to implement projects for their welfare and for the development of the city. Not even in the next 25 years will the council expand to 200 seats. Why do we need a 200-seater council hall? Also, this is a heritage building with a lot of history. Dismantling it for building a luxurious building for commercial purposes cannot be allowed,” he said. Published - August 03, 2026 09:01 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }