Kerala local body polls: BJP captures power in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, ending decades-long LDF rule

Putting an end to the over four decades of rule of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) over the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (BJP-NDA) has secured power in the civic body, perhaps the most important local body in Kerala, with the results of the local body polls being announced on Saturday, December 13, 2025. While NDA won 50 wards in 101-ward Corporation, LDF was reduced to 29 wards.

This is a major turnaround for the NDA, which had won in just six wards until a decade ago. In the past two local elections, the BJP had made a big push to capture power, but after an initial surge in 2015, it remained almost flat in 2020. His loss in the subsequent midterm elections also signaled the weakening of his power. But this time the results defied all those predictions. Underlining the importance of the victory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “BJP-NDA’s mandate in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation is a turning point in Kerala politics.”

The United Democratic Front (UDF) fared better, winning 19 seats, reversing the downward trend witnessed in the previous two elections. UDF’s points tally dropped from 40 to 21 in 2015 and to 10 in 2020. However, its gains this year seem to have cost the LDF as 12 of the 19 wards it won are LDF sitting seats.

Party workers and candidates congratulate BJP State chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar at Mararji Bhavan after NDA’s victory in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections on Saturday. | Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN

The LDF side, which exuded confidence in increasing its tally of 51 seats in the last election, suffered a shocking defeat, losing some areas they had never lost. For example, UDF won in Muttada district, which was in the limelight ahead of the polls after the State Election Commission (SEC) returned the name of Congress candidate Vyshna Suresh following the intervention of the Kerala High Court. Although the LDF and the NDA were locked in a neck-and-neck fight in the early hours with the prospect of the verdict being put on hold, the NDA soon pulled back and retained a clear lead that only increased as the counting progressed.

UDF candidate from Muttada, Vyshna Suresh, celebrates outside the counting center after her victory in the city Corporation elections in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. | Photo Credit: JAYAMOHAN A.

The BJP, which was shaken by the allegations in the run-up to the election following the suspicious suicide of a councilor and another party worker and allegations of corruption in other cooperatives, was apparently unaffected by all this. The party has strengthened its position in the districts it won in the last two elections. Its margins mostly increased in the wards it first managed to capture in 2015.

Even as the LDF has won all four municipalities as well as the district panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram, the loss of power in the Corporation and the erosion of urban votes could be a cause for concern for the leadership ahead of the Assembly elections next year.

Among the leading candidates, former Director General of Police (DGP) R. Sreelekha of the BJP won from Sasthamangalam by a margin of over 600 votes. He had sparked controversy by sharing a fake opinion poll on his social media page on polling day and was facing the possibility of action over poll code violations. Former Congress MLA KS Sabarinadhan won from Kowdiar constituency by a narrow margin of 74 votes. All senior brigadiers of the LDF, who were touted as Mayor candidates, including SP Deepak, Vanchiyoor P. Babu, K. Sreekumar and RP Sivaji, won.

While Communist Party of India (CPI) leader and former Deputy Mayor Rakhi Ravikumar clinched her fourth consecutive victory, Congress (S) leader Palayam Rajan’s decades-long tenure as LDF councilor ended with defeat in Nanthencode. BJP leader VV Rajesh won from Kodunganoor by a comfortable margin.

Speaking to media persons after the victory, BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the people of Kerala have started accepting the slogan of ‘Vikasita Keralam’ (developed Kerala) put forward by the BJP. He said the results were a reflection of the failure of the LDF-led State government and the Corporation.