UDF Leads in Keralam, Crosses Halfway Mark as Congress Alliance Eyes Return to Power

The United Democratic Front (UDF) surged past the halfway mark in Kerala on Monday, leading in 91 of the state’s 140 विधानसभा constituencies, according to trends released by the Election Commission of India, putting the Congress-led alliance on course to return to power after a decade.

Within the alliance, the Indian National Congress was leading in 58 constituencies, while the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) was ahead in 22 seats, contributing to a commanding early lead.

The trends indicate a sharp reversal for the incumbent Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, which was leading in 40 constituencies as counting progressed.

As the scale of the lead became clear, senior Congress leaders gathered at the party’s state headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. Among those present were Ramesh Chennithala, KC Venugopal and Shashi Tharoor, who were seen celebrating with party workers as early results pointed to a decisive shift.

Visuals from the venue showed leaders embracing each other, reflecting growing confidence within the party that the UDF is poised to form the next government.

Tharoor described the early trends as a signal of voter sentiment shifting after a decade of LDF rule. “Look, we are a party of change. We want that after 10 years of such bad politics, it is very important to bring change and, in my view, to bring in a new kind of politics,” he said.

Counting began at 8 a.m. with postal ballots, followed by Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes from 8:30 a.m., with round-wise updates being published in real time on the Commission’s official platforms.

The Kerala contest is part of a broader counting exercise underway across 823 constituencies spanning multiple states, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

Security has been tightened across counting centres to ensure a smooth process, with controlled access and monitoring in place as officials continue tallying votes.

While final results are yet to be declared, the early trends suggest a decisive political shift in Kerala, with the UDF positioned to end a 10-year stretch of LDF governance and return to power with a clear mandate.

(With inputs from ANI)