NDA likely to announce remaining candidates for Kochi Corporation on Nov. 15

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is likely to announce a majority of its remaining candidates to contest in the Kochi Corporation in the forthcoming local body polls on Saturday (November 15, 2025). Union Minister of State George Kurian is expected to make the announcement.

Earlier this week, the NDA released its first list of 32 candidates — 30 from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and one each from the Kerala Congress (Nationalist) and the National People’s Party (NPP). On a sour note, the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), an ally, stayed away from the announcement due to differences with the BJP over the number of seats allotted.

BJP city district president K.S. Shaiju, however, maintained that there were no differences with the BDJS. While the BDJS had asked for five seats, Mr. Shaiju said that as many as 12 seats would be allotted to the alliance partner. The BDJS had contested in three wards in the last election and lost all. The outgoing Corporation council had five NDA councillors, all from the BJP.

The Kerala Congress (Nationalist) and the Shiv Sena, NDA partners, will be allotted two seats each, while the NPP will get one. Another potential ally may also be allotted a seat, though it is yet to be decided. The BJP will contest in the remaining wards.

Six-time councillor from the Cheralayi ward, Shyamala S. Prabhu, has been dropped by the BJP. Meanwhile, the party has opened its doors to Sunitha Dixon, the United Democratic Front’s Revolutionary Socialist Party sitting councillor from the Vyttila ward, and Santha Vijayan, the Congress’s sitting councillor from the Devankulangara ward.

The NDA has given ticket to Joshi Kaithavalappil, president of the parent-teacher association at St. Rita’s Public School, Palluruthy, which recently made headlines following the hijab (headscarf) row. He will contest from the Palluruthy Kacheripady division as the NPP candidate.