Kerala election result 2025: As vote counting in Kerala’s local body elections moved past the halfway stage, the ruling CPI(M) found itself grappling with a setback of rare scale. The half-way countung shows Pinarayi Vijayan-led party losing ground not just in competitive areas but also in regions long considered its organisational strongholds.
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The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) emerged as the primary beneficiaries of the CPI(M)’s slide, with significant gains reported across urban and semi-urban centres. The shift in momentum was particularly visible in corporation and municipality segments.
CPI(M) bastions show cracks
Across the state’s corporations, the CPI(M) faced reverses that few within the party had anticipated. Setbacks in Kozhikode and Kollam, along with mounting pressure in other urban bodies, underlined the depth of the challenge. Traditionally resilient in local elections even during politically difficult periods, the party appeared unable to hold on to its base this time.
The picture in rural Kerala was equally concerning for the Left. While the UDF was leading in 371 gram panchayats, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) managed leads in only 355, pointing to erosion in areas where the CPI(M) has historically exercised strong influence.
Urban losses deepen concerns
The situation worsened in municipal corporations, where the Congress was leading in four of the six corporations, leaving the CPI(M) ahead in just one. In Thiruvananthapuram Corporation — governed by the CPI(M) for several years — the party was trailing behind the BJP, marking a significant political moment in the state capital.
Municipal trends mirrored the urban slide, with the Congress leading in 51 municipalities compared to the LDF’s 32. These numbers reinforced the perception that urban voters had decisively shifted away from the ruling party.
The CPI(M) had entered the elections highlighting steps such as an increase in welfare pensions, a strategy that had delivered electoral dividends in the past. This time, however, such measures failed to stem the losses, despite the party being in power at the state level for a second consecutive term.
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Party sources acknowledged that controversies such as the Sabarimala gold smuggling case appeared to have dented the CPI(M)’s credibility, particularly among core support bases. Gains painstakingly built over years, especially in cities, now seem to have unravelled.
As counting continues, the results are shaping up as one of the most serious electoral challenges the CPI(M) has faced in recent local body elections, forcing the party to reassess its political messaging and organisational strength ahead of future contests. |
