UDF SURGE RESHAPES KERALA POLITICS

Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan on Saturday described the United Democratic Front's emphatic performance in Kerala's local body elections as a clear endorsement of its campaign against the Left Democratic Front government, arguing that voters had weighed and accepted the opposition's political chargesheet alongside its election manifesto.

- HD Bureau

Addressing reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Satheesan said the scale of the outcome marked a decisive shift in grassroots politics. He pointed to a sharp fall in the number of grama panchayats won by the ruling front and a corresponding rise in UDF-controlled local bodies as evidence of voter discontent with the LDF's record in office.

According to figures cited by the opposition, the LDF's tally of grama panchayats dropped to about 345, compared with more than 500 in the 2020 local body polls, while the UDF climbed to roughly 500 from around 340 in the previous election.