The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made significant inroads into the Kozhikode urban landscape in the recently held local body elections, but did not make much of a dent in the rural areas.
Securing 13 of the 76 seats in the Kozhikode Corporation is a huge leap for the party, which was restricted to seven council seats in the last decade. By almost doubling the number of seats this time around, the party has not only made its presence felt in some parts of the city, but also ensured it has more of a voice in a council that is barely hanging on by a thread.
While the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) won only 35 of the 76 seats and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won 28 seats, neither front has a simple majority in the Corporation Board. Neither front can remain in power without the support of the other or the BJP, which may lead to major power struggles in the council in the foreseeable future.
The BJP has found support in some new pockets, including the newly created Mavoor Road division, and some of its victories are politically relevant. Two-time councilor Navya Haridas continued her dream run in Karaparamba division. The party won the Chalappuram division, considered a Congress stronghold, Pottammal, which was represented by Mayor Beena Philip and was an LDF stronghold for over four decades, and the Paroppady division, where the party’s Hareesh Pottangadi defeated Prime Minister Niyas of the Congress, who was proposed as the UDF’s mayoral candidate. On the other hand, the party lost ground in some divisions like Meenchanda, Athanikkal and East Hill.
Despite a noticeable gain in the city, the BJP’s footprint across municipalities and grama panchayats in the district remains minimal. In 2020 it won nine precincts in seven municipalities in the district and in 2025 it failed to improve the number. As far as grama panchayats are concerned, BJP could win only 17 out of 1,343 constituencies in 70 grama panchayats in the district.
Published – 19 Dec 2025 19:47 IST
