Preparations for the counting of local body elections on Friday continue at one of the counting centers at the Mar Ivanios Vidyanagar campus in Thiruvananthapuram. | Photo credit: JAYAMOHAN A.
A day before the results of the local public opinion polls are announced, the three main fronts are confident that they will improve compared to previous years. With the United Democratic Front (UDF), which now holds just 10 of the 100 wards in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, making more of a push this time, there is talk of the possibility of even a hung verdict.
Sources in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) seem to believe they will win more than the 51 constituencies the front won last time. Most LDF leaders said the front is assured of 38-40 wards while there are 10-15 more wards where it has a chance to win comfortably.
Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been rocked by allegations that have emerged following the suspected suicide of its councilor and another party worker, are confident that it could overcome negative perceptions through its calculated campaign at the ground level, which used inventive ideas including QR code ballot papers for voters. However, the controversy surrounding Sathamangalam assembly candidate R. Sreelekha, who shared a fake opinion poll on her social media page on polling day, could spell trouble for the front in one of its prestigious constituencies as the State Election Commission has taken a serious look at the issue.
The UDF, which has fielded former MLA KS Sabarinadhan and district congress committee secretary MS Anilkumar to make its intention clear, is expected to improve its position this time. But gaining power in a corporation can still be a tall order.
Rebels, definition
All the three fronts faced challenges from rebel candidates in several places. How much damage these candidates could do to the major candidates remains to be seen. The delimitation also spoiled the party to some extent, according to ground workers, as they could not trace some families. In several wards, there were cases where family members ended up voting in different wards after delimitation.
For the BJP, which has made a big push for power in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for the past decade, the result of the local body elections could also be an indicator of how the elections will play out in the assembly elections due a few months later.
Published – 12 Dec 2025 22:48 IST
