Kerala Polls: Why the LDF's 'Temporary Setback' Story Defies UDF Celebrations

"The LDF did not get the expected result in the local body elections. We respect the people's verdict. However, the UDF's victory celebrations are misleading. The LDF faced a much bigger defeat in 2010 and came back strongly from that," Sivankutty said on Saturday.

The Minister also highlighted the gains made by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the elections, stating that voters should treat these gains as a warning against falling for the "trap of communal forces."

"Voters should not fall into the trap of communal forces. We accept the election outcome," he added.

Sivankutty pointed out that the voter turnout this time was 58.24 per cent, lower than in the previous elections. He said that the LDF's core support base in Thiruvananthapuram remained intact and that a detailed review and evaluation of the results would be carried out.

The Minister alleged that the BJP had influenced voters and released exit poll results before the counting, calling it a serious breach of election rules. He criticised the Election Commission for remaining silent on the issue.

"This is only a temporary trend. There is no loss of the CPM base in Thiruvananthapuram, and candidate selection was done correctly," he added.

Earlier, Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrashekhar on Saturday termed the BJP-led NDA's performance in the Kerala local body elections a "historical victory," claiming the results marked a decisive expansion of the party's vote share and political footprint across the state.

"It is a historical victory for every BJP worker across the state because we have made significant strides in our vote share and political footprint," Chandrashekhar said, asserting that the NDA had made gains even in traditional strongholds of both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).

According to him, the results have "established that the LDF is out of the picture," setting the stage for a future contest between the UDF and the NDA in the upcoming Assembly elections.

The BJP leader also trained his guns on both the Left and the Congress, alleging corruption and governance failures.

"We always attacked the LDF for their corruption and mal-governance, while Congress is in alliance with the CPI(M) in 27 states and eight Union Territories, so it should not mislead the people," he said, adding that the BJP did not seek "any endorsement from corrupt twins like the Congress and the Left.

"The NDA's biggest breakthrough came in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, where it secured control for the first time, ending the LDF's four-decade-long rule. Of the 101 wards, the NDA won 50, while the LDF secured 29 and the UDF 19; two seats went to independents.

The result is being seen as a major political setback for both the Left and the Congress in the state capital.

At the grassroots level, however, the Congress-led UDF emerged ahead, leading in 505 of the 941 Grama Panchayats as of Saturday night. The LDF was ahead in 340 panchayats, while the NDA led in 26.

The Aam Aadmi Party won three wards, and 64 Grama Panchayats remained tied. In Block Panchayats, the UDF led in 79 of 152, followed by the LDF in 63, with 10 witnessing ties. Chandrashekhar said the NDA's growing presence reflected a "clear appetite for change" among Kerala's voters.

- ANI