Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s victory in the Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation as a "historic dawn" for the state, suggesting that the state's youth and women are finally looking toward the party as an alternative. In a congratulatory letter to the newly elected mayor, VV Rajesh, Modi framed the win as a clear signal that the people are beginning to trust the National Democratic Alliance’s platform of development and nationalism over the traditional "appeasement" politics of the region.
The numbers certainly suggest a major shift in the state capital’s political landscape. The BJP-led NDA swept 50 of the 101 divisions, leaving the LDF with 29 and the UDF with just 19. The party crossed the simple majority threshold of 51 shortly after when independent councillor Patoor Radhakrishnan threw his support behind them. For the Prime Minister, this outcome is a hard-earned milestone for karyakartas who he says have spent decades facing political violence and hostility while operating in a state dominated by two rival fronts.
Modi didn't hold back in his assessment of the state's traditional power players. He accused the LDF and UDF of running a "fixed match" — acting as allies in New Delhi while playing at being rivals in Kerala — and claimed that voters are finally tired of the corruption and broken promises resulting from this dynamic. He noted that the victory in a city as culturally and spiritually significant as Thiruvananthapuram, the land of Sree Padmanabhaswamy, is particularly humbling for the party.
Going ahead, Prime Minister Modi appealed to the newly elected governing council to take up the vision of a “Vikasita Thiruvananthapuram.” The Prime Minister drew on the legacy of social reformers from Kerala, such as Sree Narayana Guru, Ayyankali, and Mannathu Padmanabhan, and emphasised social justice and women’s empowerment. The BJP’s election victory has been deemed not only as a success at the local body polls but rather a “golden letter” opportunity to reshape their future course in the South.
Also read: Kerala begins preparations for Census 2027
Follow us
