Results in the local body elections in Kerala have come as a setback for the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) ahead of next year’s assembly elections, with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) registering a thumping victory in both rural and urban civic bodies.
The BJP-led NDA registered a resounding victory in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation by winning 50 seats in the 101-member council in Kerala’s capital. The corporation was seen as a Left bastion; in the outgoing 100-member body, the CPM had 51 seats, the BJP-led NDA 35, and the UDF 10. In these elections, with the seats increased to 101, the NDA won 50 seats, the LDF 29, and the UDF 19, with the remaining two seats going to Independents.
The UDF has won four of six municipal corporations: Kollam, Kochi, Thrissur, and Kannur. The LDF retained Kozhikode, while the BJP-led NDA wrested Thiruvananthapuram from the LDF.
Out of 941 panchayats, the UDF won 499, while the LDF secured 341. The NDA is ahead in 26 panchayats. Among 152 block panchayats, the UDF won 71, while the LDF secured 64. Of the 14 district panchayats, the UDF and LDF won seven each. Among 87 municipalities, the UDF and LDF won 54 and 28 seats respectively, while the NDA won two.
Notable BJP wins in Thiruvananthapuram include its probable mayor candidates, ex-DGP R. Sreelekha in Sasthamangalam and V.V. Rajesh in Kodunganoor wards. However, one of the BJP’s star candidates, Padmini Thomas, faced defeat in the Palayam ward.
Meanwhile, the BJP-led NDA secured a victory in Munambam, where around 600 families have been protesting against claims by the Waqf Board over their property. The ward was previously held by the Congress, making this win significant for the BJP-led alliance. Kerala BJP general secretary Anoop Antony Joseph called the result historic. In a social media post, he said the Modi government and BJP stood with the people of Munambam in their fight and that voters had returned that support through the ballot.
The local body election results have dented the Left’s hopes for a third consecutive LDF government. The results indicate that the UDF has advanced across the state, and the NDA has emerged as a dominant player in key areas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday termed the BJP-led NDA’s mandate in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation a “watershed moment” in Kerala’s politics and expressed gratitude to BJP workers for the “spectacular results.” He said the day recalled the work of generations of grassroots workers in Kerala.
Leader of the Opposition and Congress leader V.D. Satheesan said the UDF’s sweeping victory is a warning and a protest against the state government’s misgovernance.
LDF convener T.P. Ramakrishnan said the verdict would be closely examined at a micro level and that further steps would be taken after considering public opinion.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated that the results reflected a public endorsement for a developing Kerala, signalling the end of the LDF’s decade-long rule. He called the UDF’s victory temporary and asserted that the BJP’s gains, particularly in Thiruvananthapuram, prove the people have accepted its vision.