Thiruvananthapuram, July 5 (IANS) Buoyed by its recent victory in the Nilambur Assembly bypoll, the Congress party in Kerala has turned its focus to the upcoming local body elections.

This is going to be a crucial semi-final ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls — expected to be a high-stakes political contest.

Riding on the momentum from Nilambur, the party has begun mobilizing its senior leadership to lead the charge at the grassroots level. Key leaders have been assigned specific districts to spearhead the campaign and galvanize support.

Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan will oversee the party’s efforts in Kochi, with a specific focus on reclaiming the Kochi Corporation, which the Congress lost to the Left in the 2020 local body polls.

Veteran leader and Kannur MP K. Sudhakaran will take charge of the campaign in Kannur, while senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan has been assigned the Thiruvananthapuram district.

Other prominent leaders, including Benny Behanan, Ramesh Chennithala, P.C. Vishnunath, and Roji M. John, will also lead campaigns in key districts.

Kerala has a total of 23,612 wards spread across its local self-government institutions — which include Grama Panchayats, Block Panchayats, District Panchayats, Municipalities, and Corporations.

In the 2020 local body elections, out of a total of 941 Grama Panchayats, the Left won 514, while UDF 321, NDA 19, and others won 23 Panchayats.

Of 152 Block Panchayats, 108 went to the Left kitty, while UDF got 38. Of the 14 District Panchayats, Left won 11 and UDF just 3.

Out of 87 Municipalities, the Left won 43, UDF 41, and NDA 2; and out of 6 Corporations, the Left has 5 and UDF 1.

In terms of vote share in 2020, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) secured 40.18 per cent, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) 37.92 per cent, and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) 15.02 per cent.

With local body polls playing a significant role in shaping the political narrative ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, the Congress is keen to consolidate its grassroots presence and challenge the dominance of the ruling Left.

–IANS

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