Kerala local body polls: Thiruvananthapuram win a watershed moment in state politics, says PM Modi

Thiruvananthapuram: BJP received a major impetus in Kerala with the NDA winning the Thiruvananthapuram city corporation polls, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed as a watershed moment in Kerala’s politics.

For Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who took over as BJP state president earlier this year, the win in the state capital is a major boost to gear up for the assembly polls that are scheduled to be held in a few months.

Chandrasekhar, who already announced that he will contest from Nemom seat in the Assembly election, could also brighten his victory hopes as the NDA won most of the local body wards under the Nemom assembly seat in the city corporation. Even as BJP opened its account in Kerala assembly with party veteran O Rajagopal winning the Nemom seat in 2016, in 2021 the party lost the seat.

Thiruvananthapuram has been witnessing BJP's surge since 2015 with the party winning 35 seats in 2015 and 2020 election. Now the BJP won 50 seats in the 101 ward city corporation. The LDF, which has been ruling the corporation over the last many decades, suffered the loss as its seats went down to 29 from 52. The Congress could gain as its number of seats increased to 19 from 10. Two independents have also won.

The coming months could witness the BJP-led NDA bringing in major development plans for Thiruvananthapuram to influence the voters across the state before the next assembly election. Already Chandrasekhar had announced that if the BJP wins in Thiruvananthapuram the Prime Minister himself will unveil a comprehensive development roadmap for the state capital within 45 days.

The curious question doing the rounds now is whether party senior district leader V V Rajesh or ex-DGP and first woman IPS officer from Kerala R Sreelekah will be BJP's maiden mayor in the state.

Chandrasekhar said that it was the people's mandate for development politics of the BJP. "The BJP is keeping on expanding its political footprint in Kerala. In the next assembly election the people would decide which party could bring in development. It will be a contest between the BJP and Congress," he said.

Meanwhile, the BJP's seat came down marginally in the Palakkad and Pandalam municipalities where the party was in power. The total vote share of the BJP across the state is considered to be above 20 percent.

"Thank you Thiruvananthapuram! The mandate the BJP-NDA got in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation is a watershed moment in Kerala’s politics. The people are certain that the development aspirations of the state can only be addressed by our Party. Our Party will work towards this vibrant city’s growth and boost ‘Ease of Living’ for the people," Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote in a post on X.

"My gratitude to the people across Kerala who voted for BJP and NDA candidates in the local body polls in the state. Kerala is fed up of UDF and LDF. They see NDA as the only option that can deliver on good governance and build a #VikasitaKeralam with opportunities for all," he added.