The Kerala local body election results have unmistakably underlined the deep anti-incumbency sentiment against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government, a mood that has largely benefited both the Congress-led UDF and the BJP-led NDA. The BJP-led NDA has taken control of the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, ending the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front’s 45-year uninterrupted rule in the civic body. In the 101-member corporation, the BJP won 50 wards, the CPI(M)-led LDF secured 29, the Congress-led UDF took 19, while Independents claimed two. The BJP is now just one seat short of an absolute majority.
Beyond the headline numbers, however, the verdict offers a more political message — one centred on two high-profile MPs who have often charted independent political paths: Thrissur’s BJP MP and actor Suresh Gopi and Thiruvananthapuram’s Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
Suresh Gopi’s aggressive campaigning and bluster failed to translate into BJP gains in Thrissur, while the party’s strong performance in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation marks a significant boost for Shashi Tharoor amid his increasingly open overtures to the saffron party.
Thrissur Pushback: Why Suresh Gopi’s Strategy Fell Flat
Suresh Gopi entered Parliament in 2024 with momentum, swagger and the distinction of delivering the BJP its first-ever Lok Sabha seat in Kerala. Billing himself as a disruptor, he promised to turn Thrissur,often called the cultural capital of the state, into a BJP stronghold.
In the run-up to the local body polls, the BJP’s presence in Thrissur was impossible to miss. Hoardings, posters and campaign material flooded even the smallest panchayat wards. Gopi’s Kalunku Sabha outreach programmes were pitched as tools to expand the party’s grassroots appeal but frequently drew criticism for being confrontational and theatrically aggressive.
Despite the visibility and noise, the BJP slipped to third place in the Thrissur Corporation, while the NDA failed to secure control of even a single village panchayat in the district at the time of reporting. The UDF, by contrast, made notable gains across wards by focusing on hyper-local issues.
Adding to Gopi’s troubles was controversy over his voting status in Thrissur shortly before polling — an episode that further dented his credibility. While his high-voltage campaigning may have worked once, the results indicate that voters were unconvinced of his ability to deliver on everyday governance concerns.
Thiruvananthapuram Shift: BJP’s Gains Reshape the Political Math
In stark contrast, the BJP’s performance in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation marks a major breakthrough for the party in southern Kerala. The result is being seen as a personal victory for BJP state president Rajeev Chandrashekhar, who narrowly lost the Lok Sabha seat to Shashi Tharoor in 2024.
The strong showing has wider implications.
Tharoor, a four-time MP, has for over a year sent mixed political signals — publicly praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, skipping key Congress meetings and carefully maintaining distance from the party’s central leadership. These moves have fuelled persistent speculation about his long-term political plans.
Just before polling, a rumour circulated that Tharoor was being considered for an award named after Veer Savarkar, something he denied publicly. Yet politically, the message appeared to land where it mattered.
Within the Congress, Tharoor’s ambitions for a larger role in Kerala have long faced resistance, with senior leaders viewing him as an outsider. Now, with the UDF regaining strength in local bodies, pressure could mount on the party leadership to rein him in.
A Possible Political Realignment?
The BJP’s sweep in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation gives the party renewed confidence ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Constituencies such as Nemom, Vattiyoorkavu, Kazhakkoottam and Thiruvananthapuram, once considered long shots, are now firmly in play.
If relations between Tharoor and the Congress deteriorate further, a voluntary exit could trigger a parliamentary by-election in Thiruvananthapuram, possibly alongside the Assembly polls. In such a scenario, the BJP would enter the contest with momentum and could even consider fielding Rajeev Chandrashekhar once again.
Speculation also persists that the BJP may be open to accommodating Tharoor, either in Parliament or the state Assembly, should he choose to cross over.
The 2025 Kerala local body elections ultimately reveal a tale of contrasts: Suresh Gopi’s loud, personality-driven politics struggling to build durable trust at the grassroots and the BJP’s quieter, strategic consolidation in the capital quietly altering the state’s political chessboard. As Kerala heads toward the 2026 Assembly elections, these subtle shifts may matter far more than the noise.
