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Kerala News

The New Indian Express News

Kerala / The New Indian Express

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Out-of-state parties grassroots push pales amid anti-incumbency

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The anti-incumbency undercurrent that shaped the 2025 local body elections also dimmed the electoral ambitions of most out-of-state parties, thwarting their efforts to consolidate a foothold in the state. This time, only parties embedded in Keralas established political alliances managed to post any gains. Prominent out-of-state parties such as the RJD and the JD(S), which contested under the LDF banner, performed relatively better, largely in rural areas. While the RJD won around 63 of the nearly 200 wards it contested, the JD(S) secured 44 seats. Most of our victories came from grama panchayats in Palakkad, said JD(S) state president Mathew T Thomas. The All India Forward Bloc, that is part of the UDF and LJP, an NDA constituent, managed to win one grama panchayat ward each. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had skipped the 2020 local body polls, fielded 380 candidates this time. Its gains, however, remained confined to rural pockets, with the party failing to make any impact in urban centres traditionally considered its fertile ground. The party, which contests under the broom symbol, won the Karimkunnam ward in the Karimkunnam grama panchayat where it had won another seat in a bypoll in 2023. AAP also picked up two additional wards: Areekkara in Uzhavoor grama panchayat in Idukki district and Mullankolly in Mullankolly grama panchayat in Wayanad. AAP state president Vinod Mathew Wilson attributed the partys limited gains to a strong anti-incumbency wave that largely favoured the UDF. For instance, we polled over 7,000 votes in Karimannoor division of Idukki district panchayat that we considered a sure seat. But the UDF emerged victorious as voters opted for a stronger alternative to the LDF, he said. Meanwhile, the two Dravidian parties - the ruling DMK in neighbouring Tamil Nadu and the opposition AIADMK - performed poorly in Keralas local body elections. Both parties drew a blank and most of their candidates in districts bordering Tamil Nadu had to forfeit their deposits. DMK state secretary K P Murugesan conceded that the party fell short of its expectations. We had identified a few local bodies in Palakkad, Idukki and Kollam where we believed we had some influence. While we managed modest gains in vote share in the first two districts, our performance in Punalur municipality in Kollam was below expectations, he said. The Trinamool Congress stayed out of the fray this time, citing organisational issues. Although a few independents were fielded in Nilambur municipality and nearby panchayats with the backing of its new state convener, P V Anvar, all of them forfeited their deposits.

15 Dec 2025 9:33 am