In a major political shift in Kerala, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has registered its first-ever victory in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, ending the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front’s uninterrupted rule of 45 years in the state capital. The result, declared on Saturday, marks a significant breakthrough for the BJP in a state where it has traditionally struggled to make electoral gains.

According to the final results of the local body elections, the NDA secured 50 seats in the 101-member civic body. The ruling LDF was pushed to second place with 29 seats, while the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won 19 seats. Two seats were won by Independent candidates. Polling in one ward was cancelled following the death of a candidate last week.

The victory is being seen as a morale booster for the BJP as it intensifies preparations for the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, particularly in urban constituencies such as Nemom, Vattiyoorkavu and Kazhakkoottam. These areas fall within the limits of the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation and were among the segments where the BJP performed strongly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Although senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor retained the Thiruvananthapuram parliamentary seat in 2024 by defeating BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the BJP made history in the same election by winning its first-ever Lok Sabha seat in Kerala from Thrissur, where actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi emerged victorious.

In the current local body polls, however, the BJP’s success remained largely confined to the state capital. The party failed to put up a strong performance in most other urban centres and rural regions of Kerala, where the UDF and LDF continued to dominate.

The BJP’s focused campaign in Thiruvananthapuram played a key role in the outcome. The party has had a consistent presence in the corporation since the 1980s, supported by a loyal Hindutva voter base. Its performance has steadily improved over the years, from winning just six seats in the 2010 corporation elections to 35 seats in 2015. Though its tally dipped slightly to 34 in 2020, the BJP had emerged as the principal opposition at the time.

This election was also the first local body poll under the leadership of Rajeev Chandrasekhar as the BJP’s Kerala state president. The party placed development at the centre of its campaign and released a dedicated manifesto for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, outlining a detailed roadmap for improving civic infrastructure and urban services.

On the eve of the elections, Chandrasekhar underlined the party’s approach, stating, “We are the only party which has focused on development politics.” Throughout the campaign, BJP leaders consistently promoted the idea of building a “vikasita (developed) Thiruvananthapuram.”

The BJP’s campaign was not without challenges. Ahead of the polls, the party faced internal turbulence following the suicide of sitting councillor Anil Kumar, who had levelled allegations against party leaders related to an alleged fund scam in a cooperative institution. Additionally, an RSS worker also died by suicide after reportedly being denied a ticket to contest the elections. Opposition parties attempted to use these incidents against the BJP during campaigning. However, the BJP managed to counter the attacks while maintaining support among RSS workers and its core cadre.

The party also tapped into public sentiment surrounding allegations of gold theft from temple artefacts at the Sabarimala temple, accusing Left leaders of involvement. When the CPI (M) attempted to shift focus by raising rape allegations against expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, the BJP accused the Left of trying to divert attention from the temple gold controversy.

Senior BJP leaders were deployed extensively for grassroots campaigning across the capital. The party also made a high-profile promise that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Thiruvananthapuram within 45 days of the NDA taking control of the corporation to unveil a comprehensive development plan for the city.

Corruption emerged as another major theme in the BJP’s campaign. The party accused the CPI(M)-led corporation, headed by Mayor Arya Rajendran, who became the youngest mayor in the country in 2020, of financial mismanagement. Alongside development, the BJP pledged to establish a “corruption-free civic body.”

Political observers note that while the BJP’s victory does not immediately alter Kerala’s broader political balance, capturing the capital city has symbolic and strategic significance. The result signals growing acceptance of the BJP’s urban development narrative in select pockets of the state, even as larger challenges remain ahead for the party in expanding its footprint across Kerala.