Thiruvananthapuram, 14 Feb (H.S.):A delegation of nearly 100 elected representatives from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala has embarked on a multi-state study tour to visit key BJP-ruled municipal corporations across the country. The visit, undertaken at the suggestion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to expose Kerala’s civic representatives to best practices in urban governance, financial planning, sanitation management, and infrastructure development.

The delegation, divided into nine teams, will visit nine major municipal corporations governed by the BJP. The cities included in the itinerary are Surat, Ahmedabad, and Vadodara in Gujarat; Bhopal and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh; Panaji in Goa; Meerut and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh; and Faridabad in Haryana.

Before dispersing to their respective destinations, members of the delegation met Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi on Thursday. According to party sources, the interaction focused on strengthening urban local bodies, improving transparency in municipal administration, and enhancing citizen-centric service delivery mechanisms.

However, some members of the delegation returned to Kerala due to pressing administrative responsibilities. Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.V. Rajesh and Deputy Mayor Asha Nair (Aashanath), among others, flew back to oversee budget preparation proceedings in the state capital’s municipal corporation.

On Friday, the delegation met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Leaders said the President expressed happiness over the increasing participation of women representatives in local governance, highlighting the importance of inclusive leadership in strengthening democratic institutions.

The Kerala delegation also visited the BJP national headquarters, where they interacted with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. BJP National General Secretary B.L. Santhosh, Kerala BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and National Secretary Anil Antony were among those present. Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh, BJP National Executive Member P.K. Krishnadas, State Vice-President K. Soman, and State General Secretary S. Suresh also participated in the discussions.

Party leaders said the tour is expected to help Kerala’s civic representatives adopt innovative urban governance models and replicate successful administrative practices back home.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman