Kerala: Thrissur witnessed an unexpected political outcome in the recent Kerala local body elections as Mumtaz Thaha, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Muslim candidate in the state, secured a narrow but significant victory from the Kannankulangara ward of the Thrissur Municipal Corporation. Contesting from the 35th division, Mumtaz defeated her nearest rival from the Left Democratic Front by a margin of 77 votes, marking a notable breakthrough for the BJP in a corporation traditionally dominated by the Congress and the Left.
Mumtaz polled 973 votes, while LDF candidate Sheena Anand secured 896 votes in what turned out to be a tightly fought three-cornered contest. The Congress, which had previously held the ward, finished behind, allowing the BJP to wrest the seat and consolidate its growing footprint in select urban pockets of Thrissur. The victory is being widely seen as politically significant because of the BJP’s gain in a Congress-held ward. Her win from a ward with a clear Hindu majority has added to the broader discussion around shifting voter behaviour and the BJP’s attempts to recalibrate its social outreach in the state.
A first-time electoral contestant, Mumtaz brings with her a background rooted outside conventional politics. After working as a teacher for several years, she left her job to pursue entrepreneurship. Four years ago, she founded a pet grooming and boarding centre named Nala at Koorkancherry in Thrissur. The venture, which caters to grooming, training, and temporary care of domestic animals, currently employs eight people and has built a steady clientele in the city. Mumtaz’s journey into the pet care business was inspired by a long-cherished dream of her late father, Sahabudeen, popularly known as Vahab, who worked as a butcher. According to those close to her, he had always wanted to start a professional grooming centre for pets, a vision Mumtaz later realised. Over the years, she has developed close bonds with the animals under her care, a trait that she believes reflects her larger commitment to responsibility and service.
Her association with the BJP spans nearly eight years. Mumtaz and her family have been active as party supporters and grassroots-level workers during this period. Over the past two years, she was also entrusted with organisational responsibilities in the BJP Minority Morcha, with her role linked to party activities based in Chennai. Party leaders say her sustained organisational work and visibility at the local level played a role in her candidature. During election campaigns, Mumtaz actively participated in BJP programmes and canvassing efforts, including those led by actor-turned-politician and Thrissur MP Suresh Gopi. Her involvement in these campaigns helped familiarise voters with her beyond party identity, particularly in neighbourhood-level interactions.
Speaking earlier on her selection as a candidate, Mumtaz had said she viewed politics as an extension of her engagement with society. “I have been working for the party for the past eight years. The party chose me because it felt I was capable of reaching out to the people. Whether it is my business or my personal life, I am someone who engages actively with society,” she had said. This year’s Thrissur Corporation elections also underscored a growing presence of women in local governance, with 28 women candidates contesting across various wards. Mumtaz’s victory adds to that trend while also standing out for its political symbolism. As she prepares to begin her five-year term, Mumtaz has said her focus will be on basic civic issues, local development, and community engagement. Drawing a parallel between her profession and public life, supporters say she is “ready to groom Kannankulangara” with the same dedication she has shown in building her entrepreneurial venture. Her win is being closely watched within political circles as the BJP seeks to expand its organisational and electoral base in Kerala’s urban local bodies, particularly in wards long considered unfavourable terrain.
