NDA breaks Left citadel in Kerala local body polls

Congress-led UDF sees a resurgence, emerging as a dominant force in the State

- K Raveendran

The results of the 2025 Kerala local body elections, declared on Saturday, have redrawn the State's political map, delivering a sweeping grassroots mandate to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) while simultaneously handing the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) a historic breakthrough in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram.

The verdict has sent shockwaves through the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), signalling deep voter fatigue after nearly a decade of Left rule and setting the stage for a high-stakes Assembly election next year.

Across Kerala, the UDF emerged as the dominant force, winning control of four of the State's six municipal corporations – Kollam, Kochi, Thrissur and Kannur – and registering emphatic gains in municipalities and gram panchayats. The LDF managed to retain Kozhikode Corporation, but its overall performance fell far short of expectations. The NDA, though trailing the two traditional fronts statewide, stole the national spotlight by wresting the prestigious Thiruvananthapuram Corporation from the Left for the first time.