CPM state secretary M V Govindan on Monday admitted that the Left had a “common overconfidence” that it would secure a sweeping victory in the recently concluded local body elections.

He said the confidence was based on an assessment of the performance of the LDF-led state government but admitted that organisational shortcomings, especially in urban areas, weakened the front’s campaign and affected its performance in the polls.

Compared to its 2020 performance, the LDF lost control of 174 grama panchayats, four district panchayats, four city corporations and 15 municipalities in the 2025 local body polls. The losses came at a time when the front was hoping to gain momentum ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, in which it aims for a third consecutive term.

Govindan said a decline in party-level activities had also affected the LDF’s performance in rural areas. He added that a detailed post-poll review showed that public perception of the state government remained largely positive despite the electoral setback.

According to him, the UDF and BJP gained ground by spreading misinformation and running communal campaigns against the government. “They feared that the public would recognise the government’s developmental achievements and therefore resorted to false narratives,” he said, alleging that religious sentiments were deliberately exploited. He also accused the BJP of leading a propaganda campaign centred on Hindutva.

Govindan further alleged that the UDF, with the support of Jamaat-e-Islami through its ally the Muslim League, coordinated campaign activities against the Left. He said both the UDF and BJP treated the LDF as their principal opponent and aligned their strategies accordingly.

He claimed there were instances of vote transfers between the UDF and BJP depending on the nature of the contest. BJP votes, he said, were cast in favour of the UDF in areas where the main fight was between the LDF and UDF, while UDF votes went to the BJP where the contest was between the LDF and BJP. He cited the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation as a prominent example and said similar trends were visible across the state, including in the election of local body presidents and vice-presidents.

Govindan also alleged that the UDF and BJP used the Sabarimala gold theft case to spread false narratives for electoral gain, with sections of the media amplifying the campaign. However, he said these efforts had limited impact, pointing to LDF victories in Ranni–Perunad grama panchayat and Pandalam municipality in Pathanamthitta.

Expressing confidence in the government, Govindan said there was strong public approval of the CPM-led administration and that the upcoming Assembly elections would be fought on that basis. He added that the state committee had concluded the LDF was well placed to stage a comeback.

He also noted that the vote share of both the UDF and BJP had declined in the local body elections compared to the last Lok Sabha polls. A constituency-wise analysis, he said, showed the LDF leading in nearly 60 Assembly constituencies.

“In several constituencies, the margins were narrow and influenced by local issues, misinformation, communal interventions and sustained anti-Left narratives,” he said, adding that the party believed it could recover these areas through stronger organisational work and focused political engagement.