BJP's R. Sreelekha lost by a huge margin in the Kerala assembly elections 2026. Contesting from Vattiyoorkavi, she got 37213 votes and came third. Meanwhile, Communist Party of India's (Marxist) Adv. V.K Prasanth came second with 42913 votes. INC's K. Muraleedharan came out on top with 48338 votes.
Sreelekha is a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer with over three decades of service from 1987 to 2020. She was also Kerala’s first woman IPS officer and later became the first woman Director General of Police (DGP).
Sreelekha joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2024, marking the beginning of her political journey, and in 2025, she was elected as a councillor from Ward No. 41, Sasthamangalam, in Thiruvananthapuram.
Background
R. Sreelekha was born on 25 December 1960 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, to Professor N. Velayudhan Nair and B. Radhamma. She grew up in an academically inclined family and pursued her higher education in Kerala, later qualifying for the Indian Police Service.
In the final phase of her police career, R. Sreelekha took charge as Director General of Kerala Fire and Rescue Services on 1 June 2020, becoming the first woman DGP to hold independent charge in the state.
{{/usCountry}}In the final phase of her police career, R. Sreelekha took charge as Director General of Kerala Fire and Rescue Services on 1 June 2020, becoming the first woman DGP to hold independent charge in the state.
{{/usCountry}}She retired from this post on 31 December 2020 after completing over 33 years of service in the Indian Police Service.
Also Read: Exit poll results 2026: Close fight in Bengal, BJP sweep in Assam; Kerala could see UDF comeback
What Happened in Previous Elections?
After retiring from the Indian Police Service, R. Sreelekha entered politics with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and contested the 2025 Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections. She was elected as a councillor from Ward No. 41, Sasthamangalam, marking her transition into active political life. She is now contesting from the Vattiyoorkavu Assembly constituency in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections as a BJP candidate.
The Vattiyoorkavu constituency has seen shifts in political control over the years. In 2011, Congress leader K. Muraleedharan won the seat, while the CPI(M) regained it in 2019 with V. K. Prasanth. He retained the constituency in the 2021 Assembly elections, making it a competitive seat.