The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has mounted an unprecedented campaign in the local body elections, employing a mixed strategy of urban targeting and intensified community outreach with an eye on the Assembly polls next year.
Building on the gains in the Lok Sabha polls and the visibility of Central government schemes, the front aims to capture key corporations such as Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur, while lifting its tally in municipalities and grama panchayats. Besides, it has set sights on converting the 22 divisions in Kozhikode where it finished runner-up last time into victories in this round.
The electoral performance of the BJP in the three-tier local polls reflects an organic pattern of growth. The party’s breakthrough occurred during the 2015 elections, where it established beachheads in urban segments, setting the stage for its first MLA victory in the 2016 Assembly polls. The 2020 local body elections thus marked a milestone, with the NDA augmenting its ward tally and securing outright majorities in two municipalities and 19 grama panchayats. It achieved considerable representation: 249 members in grama panchayats, 37 in block panchayats, two in district panchayats, 320 in municipalities, and 60 in corporations, capturing 15% of the total vote share.
