Kerala Local Body Polls Deliver BJP Breakthrough in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor Acknowledges Shift

The results of Kerala’s local body elections have delivered a major political jolt ahead of next year’s Assembly polls, dealing a setback to the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) while throwing up an unexpected headline — a historic breakthrough for the BJP-led NDA in Thiruvananthapuram.

In a result that has reshaped the political narrative in the state capital, the NDA secured 50 seats in the 101-member Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, falling just one short of an outright majority. This marks the first time the BJP has emerged as the single largest force in the capital’s civic body, long considered a Left stronghold.

Across the state, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) performed strongly, leading in four out of six municipal corporations and winning 14 district panchayats, compared to the LDF’s six. However, it was the BJP’s performance in the capital that stood out as the most significant political development of the election.

In the previous 100-member corporation, the CPI(M) held 51 seats, while the NDA had 35 and the UDF just 10. This time, with the council expanded to 101 members, the NDA surged to 50 seats, while the LDF dropped to 29, and the UDF improved to 19, with two seats going to Independents.

The result is particularly notable because Thiruvananthapuram is part of the Lok Sabha constituency represented by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who has won the seat four consecutive times since 2009. The BJP, which secured its first-ever Lok Sabha seat in Kerala only last year, has otherwise had minimal legislative presence in the state.

Reacting to the mandate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the result as a “watershed moment” in Kerala’s political history. Thanking voters in the capital, he said the outcome reflected growing confidence in the BJP’s development-focused vision and credited decades of grassroots work by party workers for the breakthrough.

Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar echoed the sentiment, calling the result a clear signal that the Left’s dominance was weakening. He said the party was on a steady growth path and expressed confidence that the BJP’s vote share would cross 20 percent statewide, close to its target of 25 percent.

Beyond Thiruvananthapuram, the BJP also retained control of the Palakkad municipality for a third straight term and edged out the LDF in Tripunithura, winning 21 wards against the ruling front’s 20 — further compounding the Left’s losses.

Shashi Tharoor Responds

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, whose reactions often spark debate within his party, congratulated both the UDF and the BJP. While praising the UDF’s strong showing across local bodies, he openly acknowledged the BJP’s landmark performance in the capital.

Calling it a “notable shift in the political landscape,” Tharoor said the voters had clearly signalled a desire for change in governance. In a statement that may once again stir discussion within Congress ranks, he added that democracy ultimately rests on respecting the people’s verdict — whether it favours the UDF statewide or the BJP in his own constituency.

With Assembly elections looming, the local body results suggest Kerala’s political equations may be entering a new phase, with traditional strongholds showing signs of change and the BJP making steady inroads into a state once considered beyond its reach.