Assembly results: Keralam votes for 'change' as UDF projected to end 10-year-old drought to begin "new era politics"

Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], May 4 : Results of the Keralam Assembly elections appear to mark a decisive turnaround for the United Democratic Front (UDF), which is poised to return to power in the State after a decade.

Early trends from the Election Commission of India projected the Congress-led alliance leading in 95 constituencies around 1 pm, while the incumbent Left Democratic Front (LDF), headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, trailed with leads in just 36 seats.

Although anti-incumbency against the 10-year-old LDF government was widely expected, the scale of the UDF's lead has still drawn attention. The alliance had already shown strong momentum in recent local body polls and the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

While many had predicted a UDF return in 2021, the LDF managed an unexpected victory at that time. This year, factors such as public dissatisfaction and controversies like the Sabarimala gold theft case may have contributed to the LDF's decline.

In the 2016 Keralam Assembly elections, the Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by Pinarayi Vijayan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), secured a clear victory with 91 seats, including 58 won by the CPI(M) and 19 by the Communist Party of India. The United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Indian National Congress, managed 47 seats, with Congress winning 22 and the Indian Union Muslim League taking 18. The Bharatiya Janata Party opened its account in the state with one seat.

In 2021, the LDF expanded its dominance, winning 99 seats, marking a historic consecutive re-election for Pinarayi Vijayan. The CPI(M) increased its tally to 62 seats, while the CPI secured 17. The UDF's performance declined further, dropping to 41 seats, with the Congress winning 21 and the IUML 15. The BJP, despite contesting widely, failed to win any seats in that election.

A UDF victory this time would also signal a generational shift in Keralam politics, as the party moves forward without stalwarts like K Karunakaran and Oommen Chandy. Leadership within the alliance is now centred around figures such as V D Satheesan, who has been a prominent voice against the LDF government.

Other key names in contention for the Chief Ministerial position include KPCC president Sunny Joseph, known for his organisational role, Ramesh Chennithala, a long-serving MLA, and Lok Sabha member, K C Venugopal, whose proximity to the party's central leadership could work in his favour.

Meanwhile, the projected results underline the continued struggle of the BJP to establish itself as a major force in the state, with the party leading in only three constituencies as per EC projections around 1 pm.

Counting began at 8 am today across 823 constituencies in key regions including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Keralam, Assam, and the Union Territory of Puducherry. The process began with postal ballots, followed by counting of Electronic Voting Machines from 8:30 am, with round-wise results being updated in real time on the ECINET platform and the Election Commission's official portal.

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