NEW DELHI: Kerala got its first BJP mayor, VV Rajesh, after the National Democratic Alliance won Thiruvananthapuram civic body elections, marking an end to 45 years of Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) rule in the city.Thiruvananthapuram was treated like “inherited property under Left–Congress dominance for decades,” said state BJP general secretary Anoop Antony Joseph. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already hailed the saffron wave in the red-dominated region as a “watershed moment”, saying: “Thank you Thiruvananthapuram! The mandate the BJP-NDA got in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation is a watershed moment in Kerala’s politics.”
What local body polls show?
In Kollam corporation, UDF’s AK Hafeez was elected mayor, while Kochi saw four-time councillor VK Minimol assume the mayor’s post. Thrissur also went the UDF’s way with Dr Niji Justin elected mayor, though the result was accompanied by internal dissent after councillor Lali James alleged she was sidelined following bribery by party leaders. In Kannur too, the UDF strengthened its position, with P Indira set to take charge as mayor. One of the standout moments of the results came from Pala municipality, where 21-year-old Diya Binu Pulikkankandam was elected chairperson with UDF backing, becoming the youngest municipal chairperson in Kerala. Diya, along with her father Binu and uncle Biju, won as Independents before extending support to the UDF — a move that ended Kerala Congress (Mani)’s long-standing dominance in Pala, once considered its political citadel.The NDA, meanwhile, posted selective but symbolically significant gains. The BJP retained control of Thiruvananthapuram and also emerged victorious in the municipalities of Tripunithura and Palakkad, underlining its expanding footprint in urban local bodies. While the LDF managed to hold its ground in Kozhikode by winning the majority of wards, it secured only one of the six corporations overall.
Will the ‘red fortresses’ collapse?
As the CPI(M) looks ahead to the 2026 Kerala Assembly election, it does so from a position of growing vulnerability. A strong wave of anti-incumbency and governance fatigue has begun to weigh on the Left after a decade in office. These fault lines were evident not just in the local body polls, but also in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Left struggled badly at the national level even as the Congress regained momentum in the state and the BJP carved out space in what was long considered a near one-party arena. The parliamentary contests exposed a shrinking footprint for the Left beyond state politics.In both the 2019 and 2024 general elections, the CPI(M) won only a handful of Kerala’s 20 Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress-led UDF dominated and the BJP managed to open its account. This contrast has underscored a weakening appeal in national elections, even as the Left retains power in Thiruvananthapuram. That control was reaffirmed in 2021, when the LDF secured a decisive Assembly victory and achieved the rare feat of a second consecutive term in Kerala.
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