Thiruvananthapuram, 13 Dec

The lotus bloomed in Kerala’s capital as the BJP-led NDA achieved a resounding win in the polls for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, snatching it from the CPI(M)-led LDF and marking an end to 45 years of continuous Left rule in the local body.

The win in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation will act as a boost for the BJP in the 2026 Assembly polls, especially in the state capital.

Of the 101 wards in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP won 50, LDF 29, UDF 19 and two by independent candidates.

The BJP is one seat short of a decisive majority in the Corporation.

Besides this, the NDA retained the Palakkad municipality after a close battle with the Congress-led UDF and wrested the Thrippunithura Municipality from the grand old party.

In Thrissur, from where Suresh Gopi won in the Lok Sabha polls last year, the BJP won 18 out of the 46 wards in Kodungallur Municipality, 8 in Thrissur Corporation, two each in Guruvayoor and Vadakkancherry municipalities, 7 in Kunnamkulam Municipality, 6 in Irinjalakuda Municipality and one in Chalakudy Municipality.

It won 4 wards in the block panchayats and 167 in the grama panchayats, but none in the district panchayat in Thrissur district.

The BJP-led front won 1,085 grama panchayat wards and 44 block panchayat wards in Kerala, according to the State Election Commission (SEC) figures at 2.30 pm.

These also include 11 wards in the Kollam Corporation, 13 in Kozhikode Corporation, 4 in Kannur Corporation and 6 in Kochi corporation, coming third in these local bodies.

In the fight for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP campaign highlighting the alleged corruption during the tenure of the LDF appears to have worked for the NDA.

The Sabarimala gold loss-related campaign of the BJP helped it to win 142 grama panchayat wards, 6 block panchayat wards and 21 municipality wards in Pathanamthitta district where the Lord Ayyappa shrine is located.

The saffron party won nine wards, including Pandalam Town and Pandalam Town West, under the Pandalam Municipality and three wards in the Pandalam block panchayat in Pathanamthitta district.