Congress Rides Nilambur Wave to Challenge Left in Kerala’s Local Body Polls

Fresh off its decisive victory in the Nilambur Assembly bypoll, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is intensifying preparations for Kerala’s upcoming local body elections, a critical precursor to the 2026 Assembly polls. The party is leveraging the momentum from Nilambur, where its candidate Aryadan Shoukath defeated the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) M. Swaraj by 11,077 votes, to challenge the ruling Left’s dominance at the grassroots level.

The Congress has mobilized its senior leadership, assigning key figures to spearhead campaigns across districts. Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan will focus on reclaiming the Kochi Corporation, lost to the LDF in 2020, while Kannur MP K. Sudhakaran will lead efforts in Kannur. Senior leader K. Muraleedharan is tasked with Thiruvananthapuram, and other prominent figures like Benny Behanan, Ramesh Chennithala, P.C. Vishnunath, and Roji M. John will drive campaigns in key districts.

Kerala’s local self-government institutions encompass 23,612 wards across 941 Grama Panchayats, 152 Block Panchayats, 14 District Panchayats, 87 Municipalities, and 6 Corporations. In the 2020 local body elections, the LDF dominated, securing 514 Grama Panchayats, 108 Block Panchayats, 11 District Panchayats, 43 Municipalities, and 5 Corporations, while the UDF won 321, 38, 3, 41, and 1, respectively. The NDA secured 19 Grama Panchayats, 2 Municipalities, and no Corporations. Vote shares stood at 40.18% for LDF, 37.92% for UDF, and 15.02% for NDA.

Also Read: Congress Fought to Revive National Herald, Not Seize Assets, Argues Counsel in Court

The Nilambur win, seen as a rejection of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s nine-year regime, has boosted UDF morale. V.D. Satheesan hailed the victory as a sign of public discontent with the LDF, fueling optimism for the local polls. However, the LDF, led by CPI(M) secretary M.V. Govindan, dismissed the result as a one-off, alleging UDF’s reliance on communal alliances and claiming a strengthened voter base in Nilambur.

With the local body elections shaping the narrative for 2026, the Congress is banking on its grassroots mobilization and anti-incumbency sentiment to erode the LDF’s stronghold, while the BJP-led NDA aims to emerge as a third alternative, despite its lackluster 4.91% vote share in Nilambur.

Also Read: Fadnavis Defends Shinde’s ‘Jai Gujarat’ Slogan as Congress Demands Resignation