E-Paper
Kerala: UDF leads in 91 seats as counting trends show shift
Exit polls had predicted a UDF victory with a simple majority, with only one poll projecting the coalition crossing the 90-seat mark.
As vote counting in Kerala entered the third hour, trends showed the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) surging ahead, leading in 91 of the 140 seats. The halfway mark in the Assembly is 71.
The CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), which has been in power for the past 10 years, was leading in 46 seats, while the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was ahead in three seats.
Exit polls had predicted a UDF victory with a simple majority, with only one poll projecting the coalition crossing the 90-seat mark.
Among key candidates, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan was trailing by over 2,000 votes in the CPI(M) stronghold of Dharmadam in Kannur district. In the 2021 election, Vijayan had won the seat by over 50,000 votes.
BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar was among the three NDA candidates leading in the state. Trends at 10.30 am showed the former Union minister ahead by over 1,300 votes in Nemom.
Several senior Congress leaders were leading in their respective constituencies, including VD Satheesan in Paravur, Ramesh Chennithala in Harippad, and K Muraleedharan in Vattiyoorkavu.
However, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunny Joseph was trailing by around 300 votes in Peravoor, where he is facing CPI(M) leader and former health minister KK Shailaja.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second-largest partner in the UDF, was leading in 21 of the 27 seats it is contesting, underlining its strong influence in the Malabar region.
