New Delhi. Buoyed by the victory in Kerala local body elections, Congress leaders on Saturday expressed confidence that the United Democratic Front (UDF) will get a similar mandate in the assembly elections and claimed that many ‘red bastions’ will collapse in the times to come. Congress leaders expressed gratitude to the people of Kerala for giving a ‘decisive’ mandate to the UDF, while party MP Shashi Tharoor congratulated the BJP for its ‘historic performance’ in the municipal corporation of his Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) defeated the Communist Party of India (Marxist) led LDF, ending 45 years of continuous Left rule over the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation. BJP won 50 out of 101 wards of Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation. Former Union minister Tharoor, who has different views from the Congress on many issues, said in a post on ‘X’ that the public’s decision should be respected, whether it is for the UDF or the BJP in his constituency.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal claimed that the people of Kerala have exposed the Left Democratic Front (LDF), which has transformed itself into a corrupt, autocratic and anti-people regime. He said the state will continue its tradition of strongly rejecting the divisive, polarizing politics of the BJP.
‘UDF will get mandate in assembly elections also’
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the state unit will campaign in the state elections to be held in a few months with full ‘sense of responsibility and united purpose’. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that this result shows that Kerala wants accountable governance. “Congress expresses its heartfelt gratitude to the people of Kerala for the decisive mandate given to UDF in the local body elections. We are confident that our alliance UDF will get a similar mandate in the assembly elections to be held in the coming few months,” Kharge said in a post on
‘This result is a sign of increasing confidence in UDF’
Rahul Gandhi in his post called it a decisive and encouraging mandate. The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said, “These results are a clear sign of growing confidence in the UDF and point towards a unilateral victory in the upcoming assembly elections. The message is clear: Kerala wants accountable governance that listens to the people and fulfills its promises.” Gandhi said, “Our entire focus is now on standing with the common people of Kerala, addressing their everyday concerns and ensuring transparent, public-friendly administration. Congratulations to all the elected representatives. I express my heartfelt gratitude to every leader and worker of the party, whose dedication and hard work made this victory possible.”
‘This victory has more meaning than political results’
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress MP from Kerala’s Wayanad seat, said the results of the state’s local body elections reflect people’s expectations for a government that understands their struggles and responds to them honestly. “The results of the local body elections are more than just a political result. They reflect the public’s expectations for a government that understands their problems and addresses them honestly,” he said.
‘This is just the beginning’
Venugopal said that these results are just a ‘trailer’ of the massive victory of the UDF in the 2026 assembly elections. Venugopal said on ‘X’, “…this is just the beginning. In 2026, many ‘red bastions’ will collapse, the UDF flag will rise and Kerala will continue its tradition of firmly rejecting the divisive, polarizing politics of the BJP, which seeks to undermine our unity and social harmony.”
‘UDF’s victory a strong signal before the assembly elections’
Hailing the UDF’s victory in the Kerala local body elections, Tharoor said it was a big support and a strong signal ahead of the state assembly elections. Tharoor said, “Hearty congratulations to the UDF for its landslide victory in local bodies! This is a huge endorsement and a strong signal ahead of the state assembly elections. Hard work, strong messaging and an anti-incumbency wave have clearly paid off, yielding much better results than in 2020.”
‘This is the beauty of democracy’
Referring to the BJP’s excellent performance in Thiruvananthapuram, the Congress leader congratulated it on its significant victory in the Municipal Corporation. Tharoor said he had campaigned for a change from 45 years of “misgovernance” by the LDF, but voters had ultimately rewarded another party that had demanded a clear change in governance. He said, ‘This is the beauty of democracy. The public’s decision should be respected, whether it is in favor of UDF or in favor of BJP in my constituency. Tharoor, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said, ‘We will continue to work for the betterment of Kerala, raise issues related to the people and maintain the principles of good governance.’
‘This victory is proof of the hard work of the leaders’
Congress leader P Chidambaram congratulated the UDF for its landslide victory over the LDF in the municipal corporations, municipalities and gram panchayat elections in Kerala. He said, ‘This result is a proof of the hard work of Kerala Pradesh Congress and its leaders.’ Ahead of the 2026 assembly elections in Kerala, the Congress-led UDF has got a big relief as the opposition alliance seems to be heading towards a decisive victory in the local body elections in Kerala on Saturday.
