Kerala local polls: Congress, BJP makes gains as CM Vijayan’s CPI-M takes a beating
As vote counting in Kerala's local body elections crossed the halfway mark, thePinarayi Vijayan-led CPI-M is facing an unprecedented setback, with the ruling party suffering heavy losses even in its traditional strongholds.
Thiruvananthapuram: As vote counting in Kerala’s local body elections crossed the halfway mark, the Pinarayi Vijayan-led CPI-M is facing an unprecedented setback, with the ruling party suffering heavy losses even in its traditional strongholds. Overall, the gains have gone to the Congress-led UDF and the BJP-led NDA, especially in the state capital city, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Across corporations, the CPI-M is confronting significant reverses, with defeats looming large in Kozhikode, Kollam and Kozhikode corporations proving particularly shocking.
Traditionally, the CPI-M has managed to defend its bastions in local body elections even during difficult political phases, often retaining its dominance in panchayat governance. This time, however, that pattern appears to have changed dramatically. While the UDF is leading in 371 gram panchayats, the LDF is ahead in only 355, clearly pointing to a weakening of the CPI-M’s grip in rural areas. The situation is even more difficult in the corporations, where the CPI-M is facing major losses.
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Of the six corporations in the State, the Congress is leading in four, while the CPI-M is ahead in only one. In Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, which the CPI-M has governed for years, the party is trailing behind the BJP, underscoring the scale of the setback. A similar trend is visible in the municipalities as well, with the Congress leading in 51 municipalities, compared to the LDF’s lead in just 32. The CPI-M went into the elections after announcing measures such as an increase in welfare pensions.
However, unlike in the past, welfare pensions have not appeared to work in the party’s favour this time, despite it having secured a consecutive term in power at the state level. It can be said with certainty that the Sabarimala gold smuggling case has cut deep into the party’s base. Gains that were secured with considerable effort, including in urban centres, now appear to have collapsed. It is evident that party leaders will have to work hard to find explanations for this defeat, which marks one of the most serious challenges the CPI(M) has faced in a local body election in recent years.
