Cong-led UDF sweeps Kerala local body polls, BJP makes history by winning Thiruvananthapuram Corporation

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) delivers strong performance in Kerala's 2025 local body elections, winning control of most panchayats, municipalities, and four out of six corporations across the state. Voters showed clear support for change, pushing back against the ruling CPIM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in many areas it once held firmly. The results highlight growing frustration with the LDF government, boosting UDF hopes ahead of the Kerala 2026 assembly polls.

In a major breakthrough, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) achieved a breakthrough by winning the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, the state capital's key civic body. In Thiruvananthapuram Corporation's 101 wards, the NDA secured 50 seats ending over 45 years of continuous LDF control. The LDF won 29 wards, while the UDF took 19, with two going to independents. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a "watershed moment" in Kerala politics and thanked voters and party workers for the historic gain. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, whose constituency includes the capital, congratulated the BJP on its strong showing while celebrating the UDF's overall success statewide.

Across Kerala, the Congress-led UDF emerged as the biggest winner securing 505 of the 941 Gram Panchayat seats, 79 of the 152 Block Panchayat seats, seven of the 14 District Panchayat seats, and 54 of the 87 Municipality seats, 4 out of 6 Municipal Corporation seats. LDF won 340 seats while the NDA and others won 26 and 6 seats respectively, while 64 contests resulted in a tie. UDF also captured corporations in Kollam, Kochi, Thrissur, and Kannur, leaving the LDF with only Kozhikode. The LDF retained some rural strongholds but suffered big losses in urban areas.

The CPIM-led LDF secures 340 out of 941 Gram Panchayat seats, 63 of the 152 Block Panchayat seats, seven of the 14 District Panchayat seats, and 28 of the 87 Municipality seats, 1 out of 6 Municipal Corporation seats. 10 block panchayat seats and 1 municipal corporation seat resulted in a tie. NDA captures 26 Gram Panchayats and 2 Municipalities along with the historical Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation. These elections, seen as a test before next year's state assembly polls, signal a shifting political mood in Kerala with the UDF gaining ground and the NDA making urban inroads.