BJP in Kollam moves from the margin to the mainstream

The 2025 local body elections have marked a definitive turning point for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kollam, long considered an impenetrable fortress of the Left.

These results reflect more than a simple numerical gain; they signal a strategic penetration into rural and urban segments that were once politically inaccessible to the party.

The 2025 results show that the BJP’s static vote share from previous years has finally reached a point required to convert support into seats. The BJP’s performance in the 2025 Kollam Corporation elections serves as the most compelling evidence of its upward trajectory, with the party doubling its tally from 6 seats in 2020 to 12 in 2025. This surge has transitioned the party from a marginal player into a decisive third force in city politics, a growth highlighted by the defeat of some LDF heavyweights that include former Mayor V. Rajendrababu.

This loss, alongside other upsets, underscores a major shift in urban voter sentiment. By retaining all its sitting seats and adding six more while finishing as the runner-up in 9 other divisions, the BJP has emerged as a top-two contender in nearly 40% of the Corporation’s divisions. By securing a foothold in Kollam Corporation, the party has disrupted the current status quo marking a dramatic decade-long climb from zero representation in 2010 to a double-digit presence today. BJP’s expansion beyond the city limits into the rural heartlands of Kollam is perhaps even more significant for its long-term prospects. In a historic breakthrough, the party opened its account in Kadakkal, an area long defined by its deep-seated commitment to the Left.

A similar victory in the Punalur municipality, another traditional Left fortress, demonstrates the party’s ability to penetrate regions where it previously lacked a functional organizational base.

This momentum was further solidified in the panchayats like Neduvathur and Chirakkara, where the BJP emerged as the single largest party signaling a profound shift in the political landscape of rural Kollam. BJP leadership views Kollam as the district where the party has made its most significant strides after Thiruvananthapuram. According to S. Prasanth, the BJP Kollam West president, the party has achieved a major breakthrough by increasing its seat count across every assembly segment.

“By narrowing the gap to just four seats behind the LDF in the Corporation council, we have solidified our position as a primary stakeholder and transformed the city’s political geometry into a truly tri-polar landscape,” he said.

He further noted that the party’s growing influence is evident in its runner-up finishes in several block and district panchayat divisions, adding that they are particularly optimistic about their prospects in the Chathannur, Kundara, and Karunagappally assembly segments in the upcoming State elections. As Kerala moves toward the 2026 Assembly polls, the ‘Kollam Model’ of the BJP— poses a significant challenge to the traditional bipolar dominance of the LDF and UDF.

The party has successfully shed its image as an outlandish entity, proving it can dismantle veteran leaders and capture seats in the very heart of the red belt.