Early counting trends in the Kerala Assembly elections suggest a clear advantage for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which is ahead in a substantial majority of seats. Data released by the Election Commission of India indicates the alliance leading in over 90 constituencies, comfortably crossing the halfway mark in the 140-member House.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), spearheaded by the CPI(M), is trailing behind with leads in fewer than 50 seats. Meanwhile, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has made limited inroads, leading in only a small number of constituencies.
Chief Minister Trails in Key Electoral Battle
One of the biggest early developments comes from Dharmadom, where Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is currently behind his Congress challenger V. P. Abdul Rasheed. The margin has crossed 2,500 votes in the initial rounds, making this a closely watched contest. Vijayan is aiming for a third straight victory from the constituency.
The counting exercise began in the morning with postal ballots, followed by successive rounds of EVM tallying. Officials have set up counting centres across multiple locations in the state, with security tightened to ensure smooth proceedings.
Setbacks for LDF Ministers
Early trends indicate that several prominent members of the outgoing government are struggling in their respective seats. A number of ministers, including senior cabinet figures, are trailing—pointing to a broader electoral challenge for the LDF beyond isolated constituencies.
The UDF’s advantage is not confined to a single region. In the high-range district of Idukki, the alliance is ahead in all constituencies, underlining a strong rural and hill-area performance.
In Thiruvananthapuram, senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan has moved ahead in Vattiyurkavu. In Palakkad, UDF candidate Ramesh Pisharody is leading against BJP’s Sobha Surendran.
At the party level, the Indian National Congress is emerging as the single largest contributor to the UDF tally, with leads in around 50 seats. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) follows with significantly fewer leads, while allies like the Indian Union Muslim League are also adding to the UDF’s momentum.
