How PM Modi reacted to BJP’s Thiruvananthapuram win; Shashi Tharoor says ‘beauty of democracy’

The lotus bloomed in the state capital as the BJP-led NDA achieved a resounding win in the polls for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, snatching it from the CPI(M)-led LDF and marking an end to 45 years of continuous Left rule in the local body. The win in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation will act as a boost for the BJP in the 2026 assembly polls, especially in the state capital. Of the 101 wards in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP won 50, LDF 29, UDF 19 and two by independent candidates. The BJP is one seat short of a decisive majority in the corporation. Besides this, the NDA retained the Palakkad municipality after a close battle with the Congress-led UDF and wrested the Thrippunithura Municipality from the grand old party. In Thrissur, from where Suresh Gopi won in the Lok Sabha polls last year, the BJP won 18 out of the 46 wards in Kodungallur Municipality, 8 in Thrissur Corporation, two each in Guruvayoor and Vadakkancherry municipalities, 7 in Kunnamkulam Municipality, 6 in Irinjalakuda Municipality and one in Chalakudy Municipality. It won 4 wards in the block panchayats and 167 in the grama panchayats, but none in the district panchayat in Thrissur district. The BJP-led front won 1,085 grama panchayat wards and 44 block panchayat wards in Kerala, according to the State Election Commission (SEC) figures at 2.30 pm. These also include 11 wards in the Kollam Corporation, 13 in Kozhikode Corporation, 4 in Kannur Corporation and 6 in Kochi corporation, coming third in these local bodies. In the fight for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP campaign highlighting the alleged corruption during the tenure of the LDF appears to have worked for the NDA. The Sabarimala gold loss-related campaign of the BJP helped it to win 142 grama panchayat wards, 6 block panchayat wards and 21 municipality wards in Pathanamthitta district where the Lord Ayyappa shrine is located. The saffron party won nine wards, including Pandalam Town and Pandalam Town West, under the Pandalam Municipality and three wards in the Pandalam block panchayat in Pathanamthitta district.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday, while lauding the win of the UDF in Kerala local bodies elections, also congratulated the BJP for its historic performance in his Thiruvananthapuram constituency, calling it the "beauty of democracy". In a post on X, he said the people's verdict must be respected, whether for the UDF overall or for the BJP in his constituency. "What a day of amazing results in the Kerala local self-government elections! The mandate is clear, and the democratic spirit of the state shines through. "A huge congratulations to @UDFKerala for a truly impressive win across various local bodies! This is a massive endorsement and a powerful signal ahead of the state legislative elections. Hard work, a strong message and anti-incumbency have all clearly paid off to achieve a much better result than in 2020," Tharoor said. He said he also acknowledges the historic performance of the BJP in Thiruvananthapuram, and "offer humble congratulations on their significant victory in the city corporation -” a strong showing that marks a notable shift in the capital's political landscape." Tharoor said he campaigned for a change from 45 years of the LDF "misrule", but the voters have ultimately rewarded another party that also sought a clear change in governance. "That is the beauty of democracy. The people's verdict must be respected, whether for the UDF overall or for the BJP in my constituency. "We will continue to work for the betterment of Kerala, advocating for the people's needs and upholding the principles of good governance. Onwards and upwards!" Tharoor, who is the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said. The lotus bloomed in the state capital as the BJP-led NDA achieved a resounding win in the polls for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, snatching it from the CPI(M)-led LDF and marking an end to 45 years of continuous Left rule in the local body. The win in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation will act as a boost for the BJP in the 2026 Assembly polls, especially in the state capital. Of the 101 wards in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP won 50, LDF 29, UDF 19 and two wards were won by independent candidates. The BJP is one seat short of a decisive majority in the corporation. Besides this, the NDA retained the Palakkad municipality after a close battle with the Congress-led UDF and wrested the Thrippunithura Municipality from the grand old party. In Thrissur, from where Suresh Gopi won in the Lok Sabha polls last year, the BJP won 18 out of the 46 wards in Kodungallur Municipality, eight in Thrissur Corporation, two each in Guruvayoor and Vadakkancherry municipalities, seven in Kunnamkulam Municipality, six in Irinjalakuda Municipality and one in Chalakudy Municipality.