Anti-incumbency vs Incumbency: Kerala's civic polls turn into political test ahead of 2026 Assembly race

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 10 (IANS) The upcoming Kerala local body elections, to be held in two phases on December 9 and 11, are shaping up as a battle between anti-incumbency and incumbency, a test of whether public discontent over controversies will outweigh the Left government’s claims of welfare-driven governance.

For the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), which controls five of the six corporations and a majority of local bodies, the elections are a bid to reaffirm its political dominance and validate Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s narrative of continuity and social welfare.

The government is banking on flagship schemes in housing, health, and infrastructure to project a record of tangible delivery even amid economic constraints.

However, both the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) see an opportunity to tap the anti-incumbency sentiment.

They have built their campaigns around a string of recent controversies — including the Sabarimala gold theft, allegations of corruption in cooperative institutions, and hospital deaths linked to administrative lapses — portraying the government as fatigued and unaccountable.

The UDF, which has begun its campaign early, hopes to regain lost ground after setbacks in 2020 and 2021 Assembly polls.

With K.S. Sabarinadhan announced as its Thiruvananthapuram mayoral candidate, the Congress is trying to blend youth appeal with a message of moral restoration.

The BJP, meanwhile, aims to consolidate its limited but visible urban base, fielding high-profile entrants like former DGP R. Sreelekha and Asian Games medallist Padmini Thomas, even as it faces friction with ally Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) over seat-sharing.

Political observers see the civic polls as the semi-final to the 2026 Assembly elections, likely to indicate voter sentiment across the State’s urban and rural divides.

According to the State Election Commission (SEC), polling will be held across 1,199 local bodies — including 941 grama panchayats, 152 block panchayats, 14 district panchayats, 86 municipalities, and six corporations — with counting on December 13.

The first phase will cover Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam, and the second will include Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod.

There are 2.84 crore voters, of whom 1.33 crore are men, 1.49 crore women, and 271 transgender persons.

Elections will take place in 23,576 wards through 33,746 polling stations, with 1.8 lakh officials and 70,000 police personnel deployed.

Nominations close on November 21, scrutiny will be on November 22, and withdrawals on November 24.

The new councils will assume office by December 21, when the current term ends.

--IANS

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