KOLLAM: With the UDF securing 27 seats in the 56-member Kollam corporation, the decades-long LDF hold over the civic body has come to an end. The LDF was reduced to 16 seats, while the NDA registered a sharp rise, winning 12 seats.
Congress sources attributed the victory to an early start to door-to-door campaigning and sustained grassroots mobilisation.
Though the UDF fell short of the absolute majority mark of 29 seats, the mayor will be elected through a vote of the councillors, as per the Kerala Municipal Act. A senior official at the corporation said the mayoral election would be held in the coming days.
"Candidates can be fielded by all political fronts. The process of electing the mayor will follow the statutory procedure, and the outcome will depend on how the numbers align during the election," the official said.
UDF leaders said preparations had begun well ahead of the polls, with candidates reaching out to households and addressing local issues such as drinking water scarcity, waste management, road conditions and disease prevention.
"Our volunteers ensured that UDF supporters were enrolled as voters. Under the leadership of MP N K Premachandran, we also compiled and highlighted alleged instances of corruption during the LDF's tenure through meetings and marches. Such sustained groundwork helped the UDF emerge victorious," said Congress Kollam block president D Geetha Krishnan.
Political observers pointed to the BJP's improved performance in the corporation as a significant development.
"The BJP's rise reflects strong grassroots work in the corporation. The party has been able to connect more effectively with young voters and middle-aged women. This shift indicates a broader change in voter behaviour and also serves as a warning to the LDF that long years in power do not automatically translate into electoral support," said political analyst and former journalist Ignatius Parera.
Sources in the LDF camp said corruption allegations and differences between the CPI and CPM over the mayoral post had alienated sections of their support base. The defeat of sitting mayor and CPI leader Honey Benjamin, along with former mayor and senior CPM leader V Rajendrababu, was seen as a major setback.
"Allegations related to projects, internal differences over the mayoral position, and delays in implementing key initiatives such as waste management affected public confidence. The party will review the results and assess what went wrong," a CPM source said.