Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) had the upper hand across most tiers of local governance in the Kerala local body elections. From corporations and municipalities to block and grama panchayats, the UDF has registered significant gains at the expense of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), which has struggled to defend several of its traditional strongholds. The BJP scored a breakthrough by winning the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
The UDF emerged as the winner in four of the six corporations and reclaimed some of the key cities from the LDF, which had dominated urban centres in 2020. The UDF secured decisive victories in Kollam, Kochi, Thrissur and Kannur, marking significant inroads into long-held Left strongholds, while the Kozhikode remained the lone consolation for the LDF, where it managed to retain control despite a strong challenge from UDF and the NDA.
The municipal results point to a clear UDF surge across Kerala, with the front winning 54 of the 86 municipalities and making significant gains in urban and semi-urban areas. The UDF dominated districts such as Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Malappuram, Kottayam and parts of Palakkad, while also regaining ground in Pathanamthitta and Idukki.
The LDF managed to retain control in several traditional strongholds, including parts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kozhikode and Kannur, but fell short of its 2020 performance overall. The NDA remained marginal but registered notable wins by retaining Palakkad municipality and securing Tripunithura, while also emerging as a key factor in closely fought councils such as Thodupuzha and Kanhangad.