Thiruvananthapuram: With the state Assembly elections just months away, the results of Kerala’s local body polls have given the Congress-led UDF a favourable position for the upcoming contest and a more challenging situation for the ruling Left Front.
The results also indicated a favorable outlook for the BJP in upcoming state elections, where it currently holds no seats.
According to figures, of the total 1,199 local bodies, the UDF has won four corporations, 54 municipalities, seven district panchayats, 79 block panchayats, and 505 village panchayats in the two-phased LSGD polls held on December 9 and 11. The results were announced on Saturday.
While the LDF won one corporation, 28 municipalities, seven district panchayats, 63 block panchayats, and 340 village panchayats, the NDA secured victory in one corporation, two municipalities, and 26 village panchayats.
The resounding victory in the local self-government elections has become a lifeline for the UDF, which faces a critical Assembly election, while the BJP-led NDA’s striking performance has effectively ended the state’s traditional bipolar politics.
For the Left Democratic Front, the months ahead of the Assembly election are crucial, as they must prove that their grassroots support base remains intact and that they still have the potential to win a third consecutive term in power.
While the UDF made it clear that it was not overconfident about victory and admitted it would need to work harder to maintain momentum, the CPI(M) state leadership rejected the Congress’s allegations, attributing its own setback to unexpected political undercurrents.
The BJP state leadership said that the present achievement in the civic polls would help them move forward with greater strength in the upcoming Assembly elections.
The major political fronts are also busy analysing the reasons behind their successes and failures.
The wresting of the prestigious Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation, which had been ruled by the LDF for several decades, has been a major blow to both traditional fronts in the state.
According to the UDF, a huge anti-incumbency wave, fueled by issues such as the Sabarimala case, corruption, nepotism, communal appeasement, and failed public relations, secured the Opposition front its large mandate.
Focusing on a range of issues—most notably the politically sensitive Sabarimala gold missing case—the UDF’s campaign appears to have resonated with a broad cross-section of voters.
Allegations against the state government regarding the PM SHRI scheme, the Centre’s labour codes, and attempts to appease the majority community also contributed to their setback, they said.
Soon after the results were announced, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan and KPCC Chief Sunny Joseph stated that their massive victory reflects strong public resentment and anger against the LDF government.
The Congress leadership attributed the BJP’s growth in the state—including its win in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation—to the policies of the LDF. UDF leaders said they would work hard to maintain momentum and replicate the victory in the Assembly polls.
The CPI(M) said the LDF would conduct a deeper review, followed by appropriate corrective action.
The ruling front, which mainly relied on the state government’s various social welfare and development programmes, allegations against Pakakkad legislator Rahul Mamkootathil, and the UDF’s alleged connections with the Jamaat-e-Islami, admitted that they had not anticipated such a huge setback.
The results indicated that the LDF’s recent welfare measures, including hikes in social security and welfare pensions, higher honorariums for ASHA workers, and a new women’s security scheme, among many other financial packages announced just before the civic polls did not impress voters.
However, the leadership said the party and the front had suffered even more severe failures in the past but regained public confidence and made strong comebacks later.
“At every stage, the party has moved forward after conducting proper assessments and making necessary corrections. It is part of the party’s history to regain the confidence of the people and bounce back stronger through such corrections,” the CPI(M) state secretariat said in a statement.
The Marxist party accused the UDF of contesting the polls by openly and covertly aligning with all communal forces. The Left Front also rejected the claim that the BJP achieved a major victory in the civic polls, saying it does not align with the facts.
Although the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, it failed to secure a simple majority, the ruling party pointed out.
“The LDF reclaimed the Pandalam municipality, which the BJP had previously won. In the Palakkad municipality, the BJP lost its majority. The LDF also wrested Kulanada, Cherukol, and Mutholi panchayats from the BJP. Across Kerala, the BJP holds only one district panchayat seat—in Kasaragod district—and that too is a pre-existing one,” it said.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that when people sincerely want change, it will definitely happen.
“India witnessed such a change in 2014. It is also becoming a reality in Kerala through the 2025 local government elections,” Chandrasekhar said in a Facebook post.
This movement for change is only going to gain strength in the coming days, he added, saying it will pave the way for decisive changes in Kerala’s political culture and ensure development for its people.
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