As the next municipal election approaches in Thodupuzha municipality, political parties in the hilly district of Idukki are keen to avoid the political theatre that marked the 2020 polls. In that election, the United Democratic Front (UDF) won more seats than the Left Democratic Front (LDF), but the LDF eventually assumed control amid a series of dramatic developments.
With another election around the corner, the UDF is focussed on preventing a repeat of the 2020 mistakes, while the LDF aims at securing power with a stronger mandate. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also eyeing control of the municipality.
In the 35-member Thodupuzha municipality, the UDF currently holds 14 seats, the LDF 12, the BJP 8, and one seat is vacant due to disqualification. Despite winning fewer seats than the UDF in the local body elections, the LDF initially elected Saneesh George, a UDF rebel, as chairperson. However in July 2024, he resigned after being named the second accused in a bribery case. In March 2025, the LDF lost control of the municipality after a no-confidence motion moved by the UDF secured a majority.
In 2020, it was the Kerala Congress faction led by P.J. Joseph’s insistence on bagging the chairmanship that cost the Congress dearly, handing the reins to their rivals. This time, the Congress appears to have learned its lesson.
