UDF workers celebrate the front’s victory in local body elections in Kumily, Idukki on Saturday. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Idukki district, which was a Congress stronghold for a long time before the Left Democratic Front (LDF) was elected to power in the 2020 local body elections, has once again favored the Congress. This time, the Party-led United Democratic Front (UDF) came to power with a healthy margin in Thodupuzha and Kattappana municipalities, Idukki district panchayat and most of the block and grama panchayats. According to UDF district president Joy Vettikkuzhi, the front’s victory this time was on par with its performance in 2010 when it won all 14 district panchayat seats.
This time UDF won in 20 seats in Kattappana municipality and LDF in 12 seats. In Thodupuzha municipality, the UDF won 19 seats and the LDF 3. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demonstrated its growing influence by securing nine seats in Thodupuzha.
The UDF won 14 of the 17 district panchayat seats, while the LDF secured the remaining three. In Idukki block panchayat, UDF won seven out of eight seats.
“Out of 52 grama panchayats, UDF won 36. This victory shows that the people of Idukki have confidence in us. It also shows that Kerala Congress (M) does not have much influence here. UDF has come to power in eight grama panchayats in Idukki Assembly constituency, Water Resources Minister Roshyzhettikku’s segment,” Mr. Roshyzhettikku said.
LDF in Edamalakkudy
Apart from Thodupuzha municipality, the NDA performed poorly in the district. The party could not win any seat in Kattappana municipality, Idukki district panchayat and block panchayats, while only a few of its candidates won in grama panchayats. The NDA actively campaigned in Edamalakkudy, the first tribal panchayat in the state. But the BJP, which had won five grama panchayat seats in 2020, lost two this time and the LDF won control of the panchayat.
The Kerala Congress (M), which helped the LDF come to power in many grama panchayats and district panchayats in 2020, could not repeat the feat this time.
Three Tamil Nadu-based political parties, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), fielded candidates here relying on the votes of plantation workers of Tamil origin, but failed to win a single seat.
position 2020
In the 2020 elections, the LDF won in 28 out of 52 panchayats, the UDF in 22 and the BJP in one. The UDF won in Kattappana and Thodupuzha municipalities. Initially, the LDF came to power in Thódupuz with the support of a Congress rebel, but in 2024, the UDF returned to power after moving a no-confidence motion. LDF won the district panchayat.
Published – 13 Dec 2025 19:40 IST
