Thiruvananthapuram: Quickly after it secured a historic win within the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Company Saturday, the Kerala BJP drew reward from an sudden quarter—Congress chief and four-time MP Shashi Tharoor, who termed it a notable shift within the state’s political panorama.

Following the declaration of outcomes, Tharoor took to X to congratulate his personal occasion because the Congress-led United Democratic Entrance (UDF) clinched a serious victory within the state native physique polls, with a comeback in essential city and rural native our bodies.

“I campaigned for a change from 45 years of LDF misrule, however the voters have finally rewarded one other occasion that additionally sought a transparent change in governance,” he wrote, including that individuals’s verdict should be revered no matter the occasion.

What a day of wonderful leads to the Kerala native self-government elections! The mandate is obvious, and the democratic spirit of the state shines by means of.

An enormous congratulations to @UDFKerala for a very spectacular win throughout numerous native our bodies! This can be a large endorsement…

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 13, 2025

Whereas Tharoor’s obvious overtures to the BJP over the previous few months have typically raised eyebrows inside the Congress, this time, occasion leaders within the state seem unperturbed.

Talking to ThePrint, a number of occasion functionaries mentioned they scripted a robust victory for the occasion unbiased of any involvement of Tharoor, a celebration stalwart in Kerala.

Tharoor’s assertion additionally assumes significance because the Congress chief has had a strained relationship along with his occasion for a while, marked by his steady reward of the Modi authorities’s insurance policies. Having received with a slim margin of 16,077 votes in opposition to BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar within the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the MP’s involvement in Congress’s electioneering was restricted, in keeping with Congress functionaries from the state.

N. Shakthan, Congress’s Thiruvananthapuram district president, instructed ThePrint that the BJP’s victory within the city civic physique was reflective of the occasion’s historic affect within the district’s city areas. He claimed it will not affect the Congress considerably.

“The BJP is not going to get an higher hand within the meeting polls. Town is their stronghold. It was the case within the Lok Sabha polls too,” Shakthan mentioned.

He, nonetheless, refused to touch upon Tharoor’s assertion. Including, “He is a celebration chief of a better stature. The AICC (All India Congress Committee) will react to this.”

Having wrested energy within the Thiruvananthapuram Company, the BJP-led NDA ended a long time of Left rule within the city civic physique. The occasion received 50 of 101 wards, up from 35 in 2020, whereas the LDF (ruling Left Democratic Entrance) slipped to 29 from 52. The UDF improved its place barely, rising from 10 seats in 2020 to 19 now.

The BJP notably benefited from its robust organisational equipment together with a robust anti-incumbency wave, one thing that was obvious throughout the state.

The occasion, which has been dreaming massive in Kerala after its 2024 Lok Sabha ballot efficiency, was fast to rejoice the win. It had a historic breakthrough final yr when it received its first-ever parliamentary seat within the state, whereas additionally rising its general vote share.

One of many first to rejoice Saturday was Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who referred to as the victory a watershed second in Kerala’s politics. He additionally congratulated BJP employees who labored on the grassroots for the occasion. “The persons are sure that the event aspirations of the state can solely be addressed by our occasion. Our occasion will work in direction of this vibrant metropolis’s development and enhance ‘Ease of Residing’ for the individuals,” he wrote on X.

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Approach ahead for Tharoor

Tharoor’s relationship with the Congress was seen as more and more fraught this yr owing to his repeated reward of the Modi authorities’s insurance policies. Aside from early November, when he campaigned for a number of candidates in Thiruvananthapuram, the previous diplomat was largely absent from the Congress’s ballot preparations, campaigns, and technique conferences, in keeping with occasion members. Notably, he was the lone MP absent from the occasion marketing campaign through the Nilambur bypoll held earlier this yr; although he was within the 17-member core committee arrange by the occasion excessive command to supervise election actions.

Regardless of his absence, the Congress-led UDF scripted a comeback in native physique polls after being in opposition for 10 years. It received 4 of the six companies, 54 of the 87 municipalities, seven of the 14 district panchayats, 79 of the 152 block panchayats and 505 of the 941 village panchayats. Although Tharoor congratulated his occasion, his reward for the BJP’s Thiruvananthapuram win has led to murmurs inside the Congress.

Unnikrishnan P.A., a Congress functionary from Thiruvananthapuram, instructed ThePrint that the occasion is now not bothered by Tharoor’s actions or utterings. He added that the mandate additionally made it obvious that the individuals of Kerala don’t care whether or not the MP is with the occasion or not. He mentioned the election was largely about public sentiment in opposition to the LDF.

“The irony is that he’s congratulating the BJP for wresting energy in Thiruvananthapuram. It was his main obligation to have stopped it. He needs to be ashamed of it,” Unnikrishnan mentioned.

State-based political analyst Joseph C. Mathew too mentioned Tharoor now not holds sway inside the occasion. “I don’t suppose he has any future within the Congress. He at all times stood individually from Congress’s actions and made it troublesome for them by means of his statements,” Mathew mentioned, including that some Congress leaders and the IUML (Indian Union Muslim League), which earlier stood with Tharoor, would additionally not assist him as there’s a robust notion that he might be a part of the BJP.

Mathew added that Tharoor may contest on a BJP ticket within the upcoming meeting polls.

“I consider there is no such thing as a different chief who took a lot effort to earn discredit. He’s not having fun with any assist as a Congress chief anymore,” Mathew mentioned, claiming that Tharoor’s contribution to Kerala was minimal, although he should benefit from the assist in city pockets.

BJP’s capital surge

Campaigning for the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Company, the BJP targeted on the Sabarimala gold theft controversy, together with civic points akin to sewerage and waste administration. The occasion additionally made main guarantees for the capital, the place it ran a robust organisational marketing campaign.

Within the run-up to the polls, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar had mentioned Modi would go to town if the occasion received there. He additionally claimed that the BJP-led central authorities would develop the state capital as a venue for the subsequent Olympics.

The occasion fielded a number of distinguished candidates, together with senior leaders and a retired IPS officer. Kerala’s first girl IPS officer R. Sreelekha received from the Sasthamangalam ward.

A district with robust RSS roots and BJP equipment, Thiruvananthapuram noticed Chandrasekhar end second behind Tharoor within the 2024 Lok Sabha polls right here.

Chandrasekhar mentioned the occasion’s victory was testomony to the acceptance of its central marketing campaign theme of Kerala’s growth. “It additionally reveals that individuals had been in opposition to the LDF’s misgovernance over the past 10 years. The Congress benefited from it, however it’s a short-term phenomenon. It should change within the upcoming meeting polls,” he mentioned.

Based on Mathew, BJP’s Thiruvananthapuram victory was a results of robust anti-incumbency in opposition to each the LDF authorities and the company. He added that for the city inhabitants, the BJP emerged as the popular alternative because it was already stronger there in comparison with the UDF. “They gave children key roles however didn’t guarantee checks and balances. Folks had been witnessing the conceitedness of the mayor in addition to the council. In an election the place victory margins had been skinny, it helped the BJP.”

(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)

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Additionally Learn: Why BJP is assured of huge positive aspects in Thiruvananthapuram civic polls

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