Thiruvananthapuram: Soon after it secured a historic win in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation Saturday, the Kerala BJP drew praise from an unexpected quarter—Congress leader and four-time MP Shashi Tharoor, who termed it a notable shift in the state’s political landscape.
Following the declaration of results, Tharoor took to X to congratulate his own party as the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) clinched a major victory in the state local body polls, with a comeback in crucial urban and rural local bodies.
However, he also acknowledged the BJP’s success in his own Lok Sabha constituency.
“I campaigned for a change from 45 years of LDF misrule, but the voters have ultimately rewarded another party that also sought a clear change in governance,” he wrote, adding that people’s verdict must be respected irrespective of the party.
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…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 13, 2025
While Tharoor’s apparent overtures to the BJP over the past few months have often raised eyebrows within the Congress, this time, party leaders in the state appear unperturbed.
Speaking to ThePrint, multiple party functionaries said they scripted a strong victory for the party independent of any involvement of Tharoor, a party stalwart in Kerala.
Tharoor’s statement also assumes significance as the Congress leader has had a strained relationship with his party for some time, marked by his continuous praise of the Modi government’s policies. Having won with a narrow margin of 16,077 votes against BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the MP’s involvement in Congress’s electioneering was limited, according to Congress functionaries from the state.
N. Shakthan, Congress’s Thiruvananthapuram district president, told ThePrint that the BJP’s victory in the urban civic body was reflective of the party’s historic influence in the district’s urban areas. He claimed it would not impact the Congress significantly.
“The BJP will not get an upper hand in the assembly polls. The city is their stronghold. It was the case in the Lok Sabha polls too,” Shakthan said.
He, however, refused to comment on Tharoor’s statement. Adding, “He is a party leader of a higher stature. The AICC (All India Congress Committee) will react to this.”
Having wrested power in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP-led NDA ended decades of Left rule in the urban civic body. The party won 50 of 101 wards, up from 35 in 2020, while the LDF (ruling Left Democratic Front) slipped to 29 from 52. The UDF improved its position slightly, rising from 10 seats in 2020 to 19 now.
The BJP particularly benefited from its strong organisational machinery along with a strong anti-incumbency wave, something that was apparent across the state.
The party, which has been dreaming big in Kerala after its 2024 Lok Sabha poll performance, was quick to celebrate the win. It had a historic breakthrough last year when it won its first-ever parliamentary seat in the state, while also increasing its overall vote share.
One of the first to celebrate Saturday was Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called the victory a watershed moment in Kerala’s politics. He also congratulated BJP workers who worked at the grassroots for the party. “The people are certain that the development aspirations of the state can only be addressed by our party. Our party will work towards this vibrant city’s growth and boost ‘Ease of Living’ for the people,” he wrote on X.
Way forward for Tharoor
Tharoor’s relationship with the Congress was seen as increasingly fraught this year owing to his repeated praise of the Modi government’s policies. Except for early November, when he campaigned for a few candidates in Thiruvananthapuram, the former diplomat was largely absent from the Congress’s poll preparations, campaigns, and strategy meetings, according to party members. Notably, he was the lone MP absent from the party campaign during the Nilambur bypoll held earlier this year; though he was in the 17-member core committee set up by the party high command to oversee election activities.
Despite his absence, the Congress-led UDF scripted a comeback in local body polls after being in opposition for 10 years. It won four of the six corporations, 54 of the 87 municipalities, seven of the 14 district panchayats, 79 of the 152 block panchayats and 505 of the 941 village panchayats. Though Tharoor congratulated his party, his praise for the BJP’s Thiruvananthapuram win has led to murmurs within the Congress.
Unnikrishnan P.A., a Congress functionary from Thiruvananthapuram, told ThePrint that the party is no longer bothered by Tharoor’s actions or utterings. He added that the mandate also made it apparent that the people of Kerala do not care whether the MP is with the party or not. He said the election was largely about public sentiment against the LDF.
“The irony is that he is congratulating the BJP for wresting power in Thiruvananthapuram. It was his primary duty to have stopped it. He should be ashamed of it,” Unnikrishnan said.
State-based political analyst Joseph C. Mathew too said Tharoor no longer holds sway within the party. “I don’t think he has any future in the Congress. He always stood separately from Congress’s activities and made it difficult for them through his statements,” Mathew said, adding that some Congress leaders and the IUML (Indian Union Muslim League), which earlier stood with Tharoor, would also not support him as there is a strong perception that he could join the BJP.
Mathew added that Tharoor might contest on a BJP ticket in the upcoming assembly polls.
“I believe there is no other leader who took so much effort to earn discredit. He is not enjoying any support as a Congress leader anymore,” Mathew said, claiming that Tharoor’s contribution to Kerala was minimal, though he may still enjoy the support in urban pockets.
BJP’s capital surge
Campaigning for the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, the BJP focused on the Sabarimala gold theft controversy, along with civic issues such as sewerage and waste management. The party also made major promises for the capital, where it ran a strong organisational campaign.
In the run-up to the polls, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar had said Modi would visit the city if the party won there. He also claimed that the BJP-led central government would develop the state capital as a venue for the next Olympics.
The party fielded several prominent candidates, including senior leaders and a retired IPS officer. Kerala’s first woman IPS officer R. Sreelekha won from the Sasthamangalam ward.
A district with strong RSS roots and BJP machinery, Thiruvananthapuram saw Chandrasekhar finish second behind Tharoor in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls here.
Chandrasekhar said the party’s victory was testament to the acceptance of its central campaign theme of Kerala’s development. “It also shows that people were against the LDF’s misgovernance over the last 10 years. The Congress benefited from it, but it is a temporary phenomenon. It will change in the upcoming assembly polls,” he said.
According to Mathew, BJP’s Thiruvananthapuram victory was a result of strong anti-incumbency against both the LDF government and the corporation. He added that for the urban population, the BJP emerged as the preferred choice as it was already stronger there compared to the UDF. “They gave youngsters key roles but did not ensure checks and balances. People were witnessing the arrogance of the mayor as well as the council. In an election where victory margins were thin, it helped the BJP.”
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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