Kerala's Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won 18 of 38 local body wards in bypolls declared on Tuesday, ahead of the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front's 16, with the BJP-led NDA taking one and independents three, according to State Election Commission figures. Reports say the UDF lost about four sitting seats and saw its vote share decline, and its margin in Kozhikode's Kuttichira ward fell sharply to 436 votes. The vote, across 12 districts, was the first major electoral test for the government since its landslide in the May 2026 Assembly election, and it shows the opposition Left remains competitive.