Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday said there were “things that all of us can learn” from the BJP’s election strategy, even as Kerala delivered a sweeping mandate in favour of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), pushing the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) into one of its sharpest setbacks in recent years.
Speaking in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for their electoral organisation, saying, “They have done a good job in Bengal and Assam… They are professionally organised. They have strong organisational strength. They put a lot of resources, including financial resources, into their campaign. There are things that all of us can learn from that.” He added that he hoped the message would be one of “uniting Indians and not dividing them”.
#WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, “They (PM Modi and HM Amit Shah) have done a good job in Bengal and Assam and that’s partially because they are very good at conducting elections. They are professionally organised. They have strong… pic.twitter.com/VSP5s9VWDh
— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2026
Reacting to the election results in four states and one Union Territory, Tharoor said the Congress would need to look closely at its own performance. “I think the party will have to do some very serious introspection, no doubt about it. We’ve said this before, and today we have a very good example of what worked right. If we can get it right in Kerala, what can we do to get it right elsewhere? That is a lesson the Congress party should learn,” he said.
The remarks come as the Congress-led UDF stormed back to power in Kerala after a decade, dismantling several entrenched Left bastions and signalling a wider churn in opposition politics across states.
UDF sweep redraws Kerala’s political map
The scale of the UDF’s victory was evident across districts. The alliance swept all seats in Malappuram, Wayanad, Ernakulam, Kottayam and Idukki, leaving the LDF without representation in these regions.
Ernakulam emerged as the standout, with the UDF winning all 14 constituencies. Malappuram followed a similar pattern, where all 16 seats went to the UDF, with candidates from the Indian Union Muslim League registering significant margins.
The LDF’s presence shrank sharply elsewhere too, managing just one seat each in Kasaragod, Pathanamthitta and Kozhikode. In Kozhikode, long seen as a Left stronghold, the UDF secured 12 out of 13 seats, with only Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas retaining Beypore.
The ripple effects were visible across southern Kerala. The UDF secured a majority in Kollam and Alappuzha, while the Left held on only to Konni in Pathanamthitta.
Senior leaders fall as anti-incumbency bites
The verdict proved particularly harsh on the ruling establishment, with several senior ministers and prominent leaders losing their seats. Among those defeated were Veena George, VN Vasavan, V Sivankutty, R Bindu and MB Rajesh.
Other key figures, including Jose K Mani, KK Shailaja, KB Ganesh Kumar and KT Jaleel, also failed to return to the Assembly.
The LDF managed some consolation in districts like Thrissur, Palakkad and Kannur, though its tally in Thrissur dropped to nine from 13 in the previous election.
BJP makes limited gains in key pockets
The Bharatiya Janata Party opened its account in the capital district, winning seats in Nemom and Kazhakkoottam. It later added a third seat in Chathanoor in Kollam district, further denting the LDF’s prospects.
The election also saw candidates from outside traditional politics making an impact, with actor Ramesh Pisharody winning on a UDF ticket.