The United Democratic Front (UDF) is racing to a big win in the Thrissur Corporation after 10 years. Current vote trends show UDF leading in 33 divisions, well past the majority mark. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) is ahead in 11 divisions, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leads in eight. Four Independent candidates also hold leads. This result is a strong turnaround from 2020 local body elections. Back then, UDF and LDF shared 24 seats each, with BJP winning six seats. Independent M.K. Varghese became the kingmaker and mayor. This year, UDF's clear lead has made Independents politically unimportant. The so-called "Suresh Gopi effect" is missing. BJP hoped to win big here, riding on Union Minister Suresh Gopi's sweeping 2024 Lok Sabha victory. Party leaders dreamed of "capturing Thrissur" but the NDA has only improved slightly from six seats in 2020 to eight now. The expected wave of victory from parliamentary success did not come to the local polls. For UDF, this is a clear fix of the narrow loss they felt in 2020, called "the slip between the cup and the lip." Voters seem to be uniting behind the Congress-led alliance. Thrissur Corporation looks ready for a fresh leadership. Published - December 13, 2025, 11:37 am IST