Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday thanked the people of Thiruvananthapuram, calling the BJP-led NDA’s victory in the local body elections in the state capital as a “watershed moment in Kerala’s politics”.
“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,” he wrote on X following the BJP’s breakthrough in the Left Democratic Front-dominated Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation.
Analysts are seeing the NDA victory, the breakthrough in one of the few remaining Left bastions and ending the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) 45-year dominance in Kerala capital, as a major morale booster for the saffron party ahead of 2026 assembly elections; adding a new dimension in the state’s bipolar politics dominated by the LDF and the UDF.
“Kerala is fed up of UDF and LDF,” PM Modi wrote following the NDA’s gains in Kerala, including in the Tripunithura Municipality. “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 said
Apart from being the capital of the southern state, Thiruvananthapuram is significant as it is the hometurf of senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor, who described the outcome as a day of “amazing results” for Kerala’s democracy. Congratulating the UDF for its overall performance, he acknowledged the BJP’s “historic” victory, calling it a notable shift in the Capital’s political landscape.
“I also want to acknowledge the historic performance of the BJP in Thiruvananthapuram, and offer humble congratulations on their significant victory in the city Corporation — a strong showing that marks a notable shift in the capital’s political landscape. I campaigned for a change from 45 years of LDF misrule, but the voters have ultimately rewarded another party that also sought a clear change in governance. That is the beauty of democracy. The people’s verdict must be respected, whether for the UDF overall or for the BJP in my constituency,” Tharoor wrote.