Mandate in district panchayats serves as a ‘wake-up call’

The people’s mandate in the keenly fought district panchayat elections of 2025 in Kerala has turned out to be a clear wake-up call for the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) ahead of the Assembly polls next year. Results in the district panchayat polls are believed to be indicative of the way the political wind is blowing in the State.

The results of 14 district panchayats in Kerala gave reasons to cheer for the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), but came as a shock for the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]. Both the fronts won seven district panchayats each (as of 7.30 p.m. on Saturday). The LDF won 11 district panchayats in 2020.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which won three seats the district panchayat in 2020 (two seats by the BJP in Kasaragod) it could win only one seat this time. Twenty20, the Kitex Group-backed political outfit in Ernakulam, which grabbed headlines in the 2020 elections by winning four grama panchayats and two district panchayat divisions, also failed to retain its district panchayat divisions this time. The drubbing faced by LDF in Malappuram was the worst, with the UDF sweeping all the 33 seats in the Malappuram district panchayat.

The results also shed light on the changing community considerations and the social engineering effected by major political parties. For instance, the district panchayats where the LDF suffered the worst defeats had a sizeable population of minority communities. According to political commentators, the verdict also signals the realignment of minority votes in favour of the UDF in at least some pockets of the State in line with the last parliamentary elections.

‘A shock for the LDF’

Speaking to The Hindu, political commentator N.M. Pearson said it is a clear shock for the LDF when compared to the poll verdict in district panchayats in 2020. However, this cannot be considered as an indicator of the Assembly elections scheduled in a few months, he said.

A comparison of the present election mandate with the 2010 election results will be more appropriate, as the verdicts were similar, he said. The UDF had then won eight district panchayats and more grama panchayats (540 out of 978), block panchayats, and municipalities than the LDF. However, in the Assembly election, the UDF could gain only a slender majority, that too despite apparent conflict in the LDF camp, he said.

In 2016, the LDF secured a comfortable majority in the Assembly elections despite both fronts winning seven district panchayats each in the 2015 local body polls. Hence, this victory is just only a morale booster for the UDF camp and it should not write off the LDF in the upcoming Assembly election, said Mr. Pearson.