KOCHI: A 2% fall in the NDA vote share in the local body polls, despite year long preparations at the grassroots, has shocked the state BJP leadership. A senior leader said the party has decided to conduct a detailed evaluation of the fall in share particularly in party strongholds. As per a preliminary analysis, the party feels strong anti-government sentiments, triggered by Sabarimala gold theft and Muslim vote consolidation turned the tide in favour of the UDF.
“The verdict was against the LDF government. When the sole aim is to defeat the ruling dispensation, people consider the winnability factor and it created a situation favourable for UDF. In Central Travancore, NDA made gains in local bodies where we have strong support. There has been a positive change in the approach of Hindu voters and BJP is no longer untouchable for Syrian Christian community. The only setback was in Thrissur where we failed to retain a major share of Christian votes. We are studying the causes for decline in vote share,” said a senior BJP leader.
The NDA got a vote share of 16.4% in district panchayats, 1% higher than the 2020 elections. However, it is 3.5% lower than the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Senior leaders said the vote share in urban areas has grown to 20% while in grama panchayats it has fallen to 16-18%.
According to the party, the decline in vote share was a temporary factor as voters in South Kerala considered only winnability to register their protest against Sabarimala gold theft.
The support of the Syrian Catholic, Nair and Ezhava communities was evident in Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthittta, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram.
Meanwhile, the churning within the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), the only major ally of the NDA, is causing headache to the BJP. The rift between the workers of the BJP and BDJS has widened with BDJS leaders alleging that the BJP tried to defeat its candidates. The party contested in more than 300 seats, but could win only 20 seats.
With just four months left for the assembly polls, there is growing pressure within the BDJS to join either UDF or LDF, so that it can get representation in the assembly and claim minister post. The demand will be raised in the state council meeting of the party scheduled to be held on December 23.
Party president Thushar Vellappally reiterated that the party will continue with the NDA. Thushar also met Nitin Nabin, the new working president of BJP in Delhi on Tuesday.
Not all bad
The NDA became the single largest party in 26 panchayats while it has drawn a tie in 15 panchayats
While increasing its presence across the state the NDA lost 600 sitting wards but gained around 1,000 new wards