The crushing defeat of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala’s local body elections took a personal turn for one party worker in Pathanamthitta district. Babu Varghese, an LDF worker, shaved off his trademark moustache after the party failed to retain power in the district.
During the election campaign, Varghese had publicly vowed that he would shave his moustache if the LDF lost control in Pathanamthitta. On counting day, Saturday, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) delivered a strong performance in the district, winning three of the four municipalities, Pathanamthitta, Thiruvalla and Pandalam. The LDF managed to retain only Adoor.
This LDF leader promised to shave his moustache if UDF won. At least we have one neta who keeps his word!
pic.twitter.com/W8LoWf9oN9— sanjoy ghose (@advsanjoy) December 13, 2025
The UDF also secured a decisive victory at the district level, winning 12 of the 16 District Panchayat seats, which were earlier held by the LDF. In addition, the Congress-led alliance won 34 Gram Panchayats and seven Block Panchayats, effectively ending the Left’s long-standing dominance in the district.
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Soon after the results became clear, Varghese visited a local salon and had his moustache trimmed, keeping his promise. The moment was recorded on camera and later shared widely on social media. The video shows people gathered at the salon clapping and whistling as the act unfolded.
The 2025 local body election results are being viewed as a sign of a significant political shift in Kerala. The UDF made a strong comeback across the state, winning 54 of 86 municipalities, 504 of 941 village panchayats, and 79 of 152 block panchayats. The results also pointed to an erosion of support in traditional Left strongholds such as Kollam, Kochi and Thrissur.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s victory in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation underscored a changing political landscape, signalling that Kerala politics is no longer a strictly two-party contest.
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