The Aryavarth Express
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): Ahead of the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected local body representatives across Kerala, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday said the party’s performance in the local body elections marks the start of a new political chapter in the state.
Speaking at the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation office, Chandrasekhar described the moment as long-awaited for the BJP in Kerala and said the results reflect growing public support for the party’s development-focused politics.
“We are all very happy. What we have been unable to do for so many years, we are able to do today. The people of Thiruvananthapuram have supported us after 45 years, and hopefully today marks the beginning of a new sunrise,” he said.
Calling the local body poll outcome politically significant, Chandrasekhar said voters have clearly endorsed development-oriented governance. “We have consistently focused on development politics in the state. It is now evident that development is what people want. This victory signals the collapse of the LDF, and the fight in the Assembly elections will be between the UDF and the NDA,” he added.
Senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar also termed the results a major turning point in Kerala politics, crediting decades of effort by party workers. “This is the moment Kerala was waiting for. It is the beginning of a massive change. Our workers have toiled for 45 years, and this is the result of their dedication,” he said.
Drawing a parallel with Gujarat, Javadekar said the BJP’s rise in Kerala could follow a similar path. “This is our Gujarat moment, where the victory march began with local body elections. The BJP’s campaign has paid off, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message has reached the people of Kerala clearly,” he added.
Ahead of the oath-taking ceremony, BJP councillors paid floral tributes at the Palayam martyrs’ memorial and later took out a procession to the municipal corporation office, attended by several state and district-level leaders.
Meanwhile, the BJP-led NDA created history last Saturday by securing control of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, ending the LDF’s four-decade rule. Of the 101 wards, the NDA won 50, the LDF 29, the UDF 19, while two went to independents.
At the state level, the Congress-led UDF emerged as the largest force in Grama Panchayats, leading in 505 of the 941. The LDF secured a majority in 340, while the NDA led in 26 and the AAP won three, according to the State Election Commission. Sixty-four Grama Panchayats remained tied.
In Block Panchayats, the UDF led in 79 of 152, followed by the LDF in 63, with 10 witnessing ties. In urban bodies, the UDF maintained its edge by winning 54 of the 87 Municipalities, while the LDF secured 28. Of the six Corporations, the UDF led in four, the LDF in one, and the NDA clinched a symbolic breakthrough by winning the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
In ward-wise results, the UDF led in 3,155 wards, the LDF in 2,565, the NDA in 577, while others were ahead in 532 wards, underscoring shifting political dynamics in several urban and semi-urban areas of the state.
