2025 Kerala local body polls: Thodupuzha gears up for intense political slugfest

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.

“We will not repeat the mistakes of the past,” assured Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Ibrahimkutty Kallar. “The UDF will pull off a Thiruvananthapuram-style surgical strike when it comes to seat allocation in Thodupuzha.” Talks on seat-sharing are already under way, he said, adding confidently that the UDF is on track to reclaim Thodupuzha municipality, Kattappana municipality, and the Idukki district panchayat.

Seat-sharing talks

But the BJP is not staying quiet. Sreelakshmi Sudheep, BJP councillor, said her party is eyeing the control of the municipality itself. “In the 2020 election, we had eight councillors. This time, we’re aiming higher,” she said. “Discussions on seat-sharing are in full swing, and groundwork has already begun.”

Meanwhile, the LDF, which once dominated Thodupuzha, is determined to make a strong comeback. Communist Party of India(CPI) councillor Muhammed Afsal said the front is leaving no stone unturned to clinch the municipality. “In the last election, losing power to the BJP slowed down development. This time, we’ll regain control with a clear majority,” he declared. “Only the LDF has brought real, visionary development to Thodupuzha municipality,” said Mr. Afsal.

With each front rallying its cadres and the campaign machinery already in motion, Thodupuzha is bracing for a fierce contest that promises to be as intense as it is unpredictable.