Acknowledging the setbacks suffered by the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the recently concluded local body elections, party state secretary M V Govindan on Monday said the front remained confident of securing a hat-trick victory in the Assembly polls scheduled for next year. He maintained that the LDF’s core support base was intact and rejected claims of a strong anti-incumbency sentiment in the state.

“The base of the LDF is still unbroken,” Govindan said, announcing a comprehensive review of the election results, with a special focus on central Kerala. He alleged that the Congress-led UDF and the BJP had acted in concert to weaken the LDF, pointing to the outcome in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation as evidence.

Compared to its 2020 performance, the LDF suffered notable losses in the 2025 local body polls. Its tally of grama panchayats fell from 514 to 340, while the UDF surged from 321 to 504. The LDF also lost ground in municipalities, dropping from 43 to 20, as the UDF improved its count to 47. In district panchayats, the UDF emerged on top in seven of the 14, while the LDF lost at least four district panchayats overall.

The Front also conceded four city corporations. Of the state’s six corporations, the LDF managed to retain only Kozhikode, and that too without a clear majority. In 2020, the Left had secured decisive victories in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kozhikode, and had formed administrations in Thrissur and Kochi with the support of Independent councillors.

Govindan said party committees at all levels would be convened to assess the setbacks and implement corrective measures. “Despite the government’s strong performance, we must examine why this outcome occurred,” he said.

He further alleged that 'communal organisations', including Jamaat-e-Islami and the SDPI, had campaigned in favour of the Muslim League and the Congress to fuel an anti-communist narrative. Reiterating the LDF’s stand, Govindan said the front would seek the support of Independent members in local bodies where results ended in a tie, but would not align with what he described as communal forces, including the BJP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

Dismissing the BJP’s claims of a major breakthrough, Govindan said the party had failed to retain even its earlier seats at the district panchayat level. He argued that the BJP’s gains in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation largely came at the cost of the UDF.

Questioning the saffron party's broader influence, he pointed to Thrissur, where the party has its lone Lok Sabha MP, Suresh Gopi. He noted that despite this, the BJP failed to secure a single panchayat with a clear majority in the district.

Sabarimala factor
Govindan rejected suggestions that the BJP’s performance was driven by campaigns linked to the alleged Sabarimala gold theft. “Had that issue truly swayed voters, the BJP would have won far more seats,” he said, adding that he had approached the Election Commission over what he termed caste-based campaigning by the party.

He noted that the BJP failed to register gains in areas such as Thaliparamba, Kodungallur and Guruvayur, despite aggressive communal campaigns. On the Sabarimala issue, Govindan said the government had nothing to conceal and would take firm action against anyone found responsible.

He also highlighted the LDF’s recovery in Pandalam municipality in Pathanamthitta district, where the front emerged as the single-largest bloc with 14 seats, up from nine in 2020, while the NDA’s tally fell from 18 to nine.

Admitting defeat in the Kollam Corporation, Govindan said the LDF nevertheless performed strongly across the district by winning the district panchayat, municipalities, block panchayats and a majority of grama panchayats. He said the loss in the corporation would be examined closely. Party committees at all levels will be convened shortly to analyse the election outcome and identify the reasons behind the LDF’s setbacks, he added.