The electoral picture remains hazy across the six districts — Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, and Palakkad — in Malabar that are scheduled to vote in the second phase of the three-tier local body polls on December 11. While campaign activities are steadily gathering momentum, the complete roster of candidates will only be officially known on November 24.
Given the perceived ideological hegemony in the northern region, barring the districts of Malappuram and Wayanad, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) enjoys an initial edge over its principal rival, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
Local grievances
At present, electioneering hinges on their performances and addressing local grievances concerning infrastructure deficiency, waste management crisis, essential services like water supply and healthcare facilities, and the pervasive human-wildlife conflict. This apart, candidate selection, problem with rebels, local leaders deserting parties, and tacit understandings are also reverberating at the grass-roots. Statewide issues also dominate the poll scenario.
While the LDF is marshalling all its resources, championing the State government’s development initiatives and welfare schemes, and presenting these as an endorsement for their candidates, the UDF is aggressively drawing attention to the alleged failure of the government in not only delivering local-level development but also the alleged gold theft row linked to the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.
Likewise, the BJP is no longer a political non-entity in Malabar. Though the party does not pose a direct threat to the LDF-UDF duopoly, it has emerged as a definitive third player in key local segments, capable of acting as a spoiler that shifts electoral balances between the two main fronts.
A clear political pattern was witnessed in north Kerala districts in the three-tier local body elections held in December 2020 against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Kasaragod, the LDF dominated the district panchayat, most of the block panchayats, and municipalities (2 of 3). However, grama panchayats showed a more balanced contest with the LDF winning 19, UDF 15, BJP 3, and others 1.
Like in the past, the neighbouring Kannur district stood resolutely with the LDF, by winning the district panchayat, majority of municipalities (6 of 9), block panchayats (10 of 11), and grama panchayats (57 of 71). Ironically, the UDF won the Kannur Corporation.
The hill district of Wayanad revealed a mixed political landscape with the district panchayat going to the UDF and block panchayats split between the major coalitions, with the UDF having an overall majority. Municipalities slightly favoured the UDF (2 of 3), and grama panchayats inclined towards the UDF (16 of 23).
A subtle urban-rural divide was visible in Kozhikode district. The LDF secured a brute majority in the Corporation and district panchayat. However, the UDF narrowly led in municipalities (4:3), indicating that the front maintained upper hand in non-Corporation urban areas. At the block panchayat level, LDF won 10 out of 12, while in grama panchayats LDF bagged 42 and UDF 28, signalling the Left front’s strong organisational machinery at the grass-roots.
UDF bastion
The supremacy of the UDF was more pronounced in Malappuram district with the front retaining its traditional footholds in the district panchayat, 12 of 15 municipalities, 15 of 18 block panchayats, and commanding 70 out of the 94 grama panchayats. Significantly, the IUML controls two grama panchayats exclusively. The performance of the UDF in the district is heavily reliant on the IUML, whose formidable support base in other Muslim-majority pockets in Kozhikode and Kasaragod districts is crucial for UDF’s survival in the region. With the highest number of local bodies, Malappuram stands out as the UDF’s citadel in north Kerala.
LDF stronghold
On the other hand, in Palakkad district, the LDF has supremacy in the district panchayat, municipalities (5 of 7), and grama panchayats (63 of 88). The UDF manages a smaller proportion, and BJP rules the Palakkad municipality.
The 2020 polls revealed a political mosaic of Malabar at the grass-roots with sharp district-wise variations showcasing the different strengths of the LDF and UDF with an emerging, albeit peripheral, presence of the BJP.
Published – November 22, 2025 08:58 am IST
