Newly elected members of Kerala's local self-government institutions will be sworn in on Sunday, followed by the first meetings of the administrative councils. The oath-taking ceremonies commenced at 10 am in grama panchayats, block panchayats, district panchayats and municipalities, while the ceremonies for municipal corporations began at 11.30 am.

The elections were held in two phases on December 9 and 11, with the results declared on December 13. Polling covered six municipal corporations, 87 municipalities, 14 district panchayats, 152 block panchayats and 941 grama panchayats across the state.

The United Democratic Front (UDF) registered a sweeping victory in the elections, marking a sharp reversal of the trend seen in the 2020 local body polls, which were dominated by the Left Democratic Front (LDF). The UDF captured four of the six municipal corporations—regaining Kochi, Thrissur and Kannur, and wresting Kollam from the CPM.

The surge in support extended across all tiers of local governance, with the UDF winning 54 of the 87 municipalities and securing control of 505 grama panchayats, a significant leap from its position five years ago.

The performance has given the front a much-needed boost ahead of the Assembly elections, as it rode a strong anti-Pinarayi wave that swept across the state in the local body polls. Widely seen as a semi-final before the main contest, the results have reshaped the political momentum in Kerala.

For the BJP, the election outcome has fuelled hopes of deepening its roots in the state’s electorate. For the first time in Kerala's history, the saffron party has captured power in a municipal corporation, wresting Thiruvananthapuram from the LDF by securing 50 of the 101 seats. The BJP also took control of two municipalities.

For the LDF, the verdict has prompted introspection, offering an opportunity to reassess its decade-long rule and public perceptions of governance, including criticism of what opponents describe as an arrogance of power under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The latest data released by the State Election Commission has boosted the UDF's prospects ahead of the Assembly polls, with the front securing 38.81 per cent of the total votes polled in the state. The LDF followed with 33.45 per cent, while the BJP-led NDA finished third with 14.71 per cent of the 2.21 crore votes cast.

The figures also underline the BJP's stronger presence in urban areas. In municipal corporations, the party garnered about 23 per cent of the votes, compared to 34 per cent for the UDF and 33 per cent for the LDF, though its share fell to around 14 per cent in municipalities. In district panchayats, the UDF led with over 39 per cent of the votes, followed by the LDF at about 34 per cent and the BJP at 13 per cent.