Fading red

The results of Kerala’s local body elections sent a strong message: many people want change.

The Left government (called LDF), led by Pinarayi Vijayan, has been in power for 10 years and controlled local councils for a very long time. But this time, voters were unhappy. The main opposition, the Congress-led UDF, won many local bodies.

The biggest surprise came from the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram. The Left had controlled the city’s municipal corporation for 45 years. But now, the NDA (which includes the BJP) won there. Out of 101 wards, the NDA won 50, while the Left got 29 and the UDF got 19.

This is important because in last year’s national election, the BJP lost the Thiruvananthapuram seat by a very small number of votes. So this city win makes the NDA feel confident about doing better in the next assembly elections, which are coming soon.

Usually, Kerala politics is a two-team game: the Left vs the Congress. Smaller parties often join one side or the other. But now, the NDA is becoming a serious third option. This makes elections more unpredictable for everyone.

Kerala is the only state ruled by the Left, and losing it would be a big blow to Left parties across India. Ideas like welfare and social justice are no longer special to just one party — everyone talks about them now.

Still, parties must be careful. Results of local elections don’t always predict big elections. For example, in Thrissur, even though the BJP has a famous MP, it didn’t do very well in local polls.

What worries all parties is a situation where no one clearly wins, and small groups get to decide who forms the government. This kind of “kingmaker” politics could change Kerala’s future.

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