Kerala local body polls: UDF poised to reclaim Thrissur Corporation; Suresh Gopi wave fails to show up

The United Democratic Front is heading towards a decisive comeback in the Thrissur Corporation after a decade, with trends pointing to an absolute majority and a clear rejection of the much-hyped “Suresh Gopi effect.” As counting progresses, the UDF is leading in 33 divisions, well past the halfway mark, while the LDF is ahead in 11 and the NDA in eight. Four Independent candidates are also in the lead.

Kerala local body polls 2025 results LIVE

The results mark a sharp reversal from the 2020 civic polls, when the UDF narrowly missed power in a dramatic finish. That election produced a rare deadlock: the BJP won six seats, while the remaining 49 were evenly split between the LDF and the UDF with 24 each, handing the role of kingmaker to Independent M.K. Varghese, who eventually became Mayor.

This time, however, the UDF’s commanding lead has rendered Independents politically inconsequential, signalling a clear and unambiguous verdict from voters.

Equally striking is the absence of any visible “Suresh Gopi wave.” The BJP had entered the civic polls with high expectations, banking on Union Minister Suresh Gopi’s sweeping 2024 Lok Sabha victory and his strong showing across Thrissur Corporation divisions. Party leaders had even spoken of “capturing Thrissur” by replicating the parliamentary success at the Corporation level.

That projection has fallen short. While the NDA has marginally improved its tally — from six seats in 2020 to eight leads now — it has failed to make the breakthrough it promised. The anticipated translation of parliamentary momentum into local body gains did not materialise.

For the UDF, the trends point to a decisive correction of what it once described as the “slip between the cup and the lip.” With voters appearing to consolidate behind the Congress-led front, Thrissur Corporation seems set for a change in guard.