Kerala Election Result 2026: UDF Achieves Thumping Win By 102 Seats

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Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Monday secured a narrow victory in the Kottarakkara constituency in the April 9 state assembly polls, as he faced a tough fight from former CPI(M) leader Aisha Potty, who had joined the Congress in January this year.

Balagopal, who got 63,926 votes, won with just a margin of 1,012, against Potty who had won three times consecutively from the Kottarakkara constituency in the 2006, 2011 and 2016 assembly polls as a CPI(M) candidate.

Potty, in 2016, had secured 83,443 votes and won with a margin of over 40,000 votes from the constituency.

In 2021, Balagopal was fielded from the seat and got 68,770 seats, winning by a margin of 10,814.

Besides, state PWD and Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas, Balagopal is the only CPI(M) minister to survive the Left rout by the UDF in the Assembly polls.

However, by comparison, three out of the 4 CPI ministers in the second LDF government have healthy leads in the Assembly polls as the counting of votes nears the end. (PTI)

Former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate V Muraleedharan on Monday won the Kazhakootam Assembly constituency seat in Kerala.

Muraleedharan had faced off against CPI(M)'s Kadakampally Surendran, and the Congress had fielded advocate Sarathchandra Prasad.

Muraleedharan is a seasoned national leader and former Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs. Muraleedharan is aiming for a comeback in the seat he had previously contested in 2016, where he secured 42,732 votes but lost by 7,347 votes.

Earlier in the day, BJP State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar won the Nemom Assembly seat.

Notably, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), for the first time in the history of Kerlam politics, will now have three MLAs representing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Kerala Assembly

Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that, for the first time in the state’s history, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will be represented by two MLAs in the Kerala Assembly.

Chandrasekhar, who won the Nemom Assembly seat, joined party workers in celebrations at the BJP office in Kerala.

Speaking to reporters, he said the election reflected strong anti-incumbency against the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

“For the first time, we are seeing support for the party across the board. We saw it in the local body elections when the people of Thiruvananthapuram gave the NDA the mandate to govern the corporation. This Assembly election also reflected strong anti-incumbency against the CPI(M). These elections were largely about voting out the CPI(M),” he said.

He added that the NDA had presented a development-focused vision for Kerala and expressed confidence that this marked the beginning of a new phase for the state.

“We are very happy that there are two MLAs in the Kerala Assembly representing the NDA and the people of Kerala for the first time in the state’s history. This will be the start of a new beginning for Kerala’s development,” he said.

Speaking separately to ANI, Chandrasekhar thanked BJP-NDA workers for his victory in Nemom.

Adv. Sumesh Achuthan of Congress won the Chittur constituency with 65,325 votes, defeating Indian Socialist Janata Dal candidate Adv. V. Murugadas by a margin of 6,510 votes. Murugadas secured 58,815 votes. BJP candidate Pranesh Rajendran finished third with 14,697 votes.

Thulasi Teacher of Congress won the Kongad constituency with 62,734 votes, defeating CPI(M) candidate Adv. K. Santhakumari by a margin of 3,706 votes. Santhakumari secured 59,028 votes. BJP candidate Dr. Renu Suresh finished third with 24,925 votes.

V T Balram of the Indian National Congress won the Thrithala constituency with 76,427 votes, defeating CPI(M) candidate M B Rajesh by a margin of 8,385 votes. Rajesh secured 68,042 votes. BJP candidate V Unnikrishnan Master finished third with 15,051 votes.

Aryadan Shoukath of the Indian National Congress won the Nilambur constituency with 1,13,586 votes, defeating Independent candidate U Sharafali by a margin of 54,851 votes. Sharafali secured 58,735 votes. Bharath Dharma Jana Sena candidate Girish Mekkattu finished third with 12,660 votes.

Adv. V S Joy of Congress won the Thavanur constituency with 79,661 votes, defeating Independent candidate Dr. K T Jaleel by a margin of 14,647 votes. Jaleel secured 65,014 votes. BJP candidate Ravi Thelath finished third with 16,039 votes.

V. T. Sooraj of Congress won the Balusseri constituency with 77,824 votes, defeating CPI(M) candidate Adv. K. M. Sachindev by a margin of 16,980 votes. Sachindev secured 60,844 votes. BJP candidate C. P. Satheesh finished third with 17,669 votes.

Adv. Vidya Balakrishnan of Congress won the Elathur constituency with 77,662 votes, defeating Nationalist Congress Party–Sharadchandra Pawar candidate A. K. Saseendran by a margin of 12,162 votes. Saseendran secured 65,500 votes. BJP candidate Devadas T finished third with 31,510 votes

Adv. T Siddique of Congress won the Kalpetta constituency with 97,379 votes, defeating Rashtriya Janata Dal candidate P K Anil Kumar by a margin of 45,031 votes. Anil Kumar secured 52,348 votes. BJP candidate Prasanth Malavayal finished third with 19,175 votes.

As the Congress-led alliance appears set to form the government, Congress leader K C Venugopal says, "People in the state have taken sweet revenge for the atrocities against UDF workers during the Left government."

Kerala Congress (M) chairman and LDF leader Jose K Mani suffered a defeat in the party’s stronghold of Pala in the Kerala Assembly elections on Monday.

UDF-backed Independent candidate Mani C Kappen retained the seat by defeating Mani by a margin of 2,991 votes.

The Pala constituency witnessed a triangular contest, with the BJP fielding its state vice-president Shone George.

According to Election Commission data, Kappen secured 50,799 votes, while Mani polled 47,808 votes and George received 35,304 votes.

Shone George’s performance is seen to have influenced the contest by cutting into the vote share of both leading candidates.

Accepting the verdict, Mani said, “We accept the mandate of the people and congratulate Kappen on his victory. There is a UDF wave in Kerala.”

The Rajya Sabha MP added that the electorate appeared to favour a change after 10 years of LDF rule, and that sentiment was reflected in the results.

“At present, we cannot say what exactly went wrong. There will be detailed discussions within the party as well as the LDF on the defeat,” he said.

Kerala Congress (M), which contested in 12 seats, failed to win any of them.

Expelled CPI(M) leader P V Kunhikrishnan breached the party’s stronghold of Payyannur constituency and won the seat in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections by a margin of 7,487 votes.

Contesting as a UDF-backed Independent, Kunhikrishnan defeated CPM sitting MLA T I Madhusoodanan.

Kunhikrishnan was expelled from the CPI(M) earlier this year after he levelled corruption allegations against Madhusoodanan in the Payyannur constituency.

The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), a constituent of the UDF, was allotted the seat but did not field a candidate and extended support to Kunhikrishnan instead.

After the result, Kunhikrishnan said, “I contested to be part of a fight. I received strong support from the people during the campaign. After polling, we were hopeful of victory.”

He added that the verdict reflected the people’s desire for a “correct CPI(M)” and thanked the UDF leadership for backing his candidature.

“The united efforts of the opposition alliance made this victory possible,” he said.

Kunhikrishnan further said he hoped the CPI(M) leadership would “take corrective measures” following the result, adding, “I came out of the CPI(M) after a fight. I want them to take corrective measures. I hope the leadership will learn from this verdict.”

T N Prathapan of the Indian National Congress is leading in Manalur (64) with 38,971 votes, ahead by a narrow margin of 1,311 votes after 10 of 17 rounds, indicating a close contest.

Transport Minister and actor K B Ganesh Kumar, who has remained unbeaten in electoral politics for over two-and-a-half decades, is on the verge of suffering his first defeat in the Pathanapuram constituency, as counting of votes in the Kerala Assembly elections nears completion, according to Election Commission data.

Congress MLA Chandy Oommen retained his family stronghold of Puthuppally with a decisive margin of 52,907 votes.

He is the son of former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

The Kerala Assembly elections were held on April 9.

According to Election Commission data, Chandy secured 84,031 votes, while CPI(M) candidate K M Radhakrishnan polled 31,124 votes.

Chandy’s campaign also drew attention for its environmentally conscious approach, as he followed a “green protocol,” avoiding flex boards and plastic banners, and conducted a bicycle-based door-to-door outreach across the constituency.

Usha Vijayan of the Indian National Congress is leading in Mananthavady (17) with 66,237 votes, maintaining a margin of 7,932 votes after 15 of 17 rounds, signalling a firm hold for Congress.

I C Balakrishnan of the Indian National Congress has secured victory in Sulthanbathery (18) with 78,936 votes, winning by a margin of 16,597 votes after completion of all 18 rounds.

Sajeev Joseph of the Indian National Congress is leading decisively in Irikkur (9) with 74,879 votes, ahead by a commanding margin of 35,064 votes after 13 of 16 rounds. The large gap indicates a one-sided contest in favour of Congress.

Sunny Joseph of the Indian National Congress leads in Peravoor (16) with 45,229 votes, ahead by 7,505 votes after 8 of 14 rounds. The margin reflects a consistent edge for Congress in the region.

Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan said, “We are coming back to power; people have shown they are pro-UDF."

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala registered a decisive victory in the Haripad Assembly constituency, defeating his nearest rival, CPI candidate T T Jismon, by a margin of 23,377 votes after counting of all 15 rounds, according to Election Commission (EC) data.

As per the EC figures, Chennithala secured 68,184 votes, accounting for 47.08 per cent of the total votes polled in the constituency.

The final tally showed a comfortable win for the Congress leader over the CPI nominee.

Chennithala is also being viewed as a potential contender for the post of Chief Minister in Kerala.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, he had secured 72,768 votes (48.31 per cent) and won by a margin of 13,666 votes, according to official data.

In the 2016 elections, he had received 75,666 votes (51.05 per cent), winning by a margin of 18,605 votes, EC records showed.

Celebrations erupt at Congress' Kozhikode District Committee office as UDF leads in all 13 constituencies in district, Quilandy candidate and DCC president K Praveen Kumar, Balusseri candidate VT Sooraj celebrate win, thank supporters.

With counting entering the final lap, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is heading for a thumping victory in Kerala, leading in 97 of the 140 Assembly seats, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF) trails at 41, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, is ahead in two.

Amid surging trends, state Congress President Sunny Joseph expressed gratitude to voters and party leadership.

"Thanks to the people of Kerala. Thanks to all from the AICC who have helped us, and to everyone who made this possible," he said, describing the mandate as a "thumping victory", comparable to the UDF's strong showing in the December local body polls.

The BJP-led NDA is leading in five constituencies—Nemom, Kazhakkoottam, Manjeswar, Palakkad, and Chathannur—in the initial hours of counting for the April 9 Kerala Assembly elections, according to early reports.

The NDA, aiming to expand its presence in the state Assembly, is focusing on a handful of key constituencies where it has shown early strength.

Meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF has surged ahead in over 90 seats, while the CPI(M)-led LDF is leading in over 40 seats as counting continues.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who was trailing in the initial stages of counting, has now taken a lead of over 1,500 votes in the Dharmadom constituency.

The United Democratic Front (UDF) is leading in all five constituencies of Idukki district, according to early counting trends, strengthening its position as results continue to unfold in the Kerala Assembly elections.

In Idukki, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine is trailing by 1,197 votes, while UDF candidate Roy K Paulose has secured 4,212 votes in the initial rounds. In Udumbanchola, UDF’s Senapathy Venu is leading by 3,228 votes, while Appu John Joseph is ahead by 2,970 votes in Thodupuzha.

In Devikulam, UDF candidate F Raja is leading by 978 votes, and in Peerumedu, Cyriac Thomas is ahead by 3,184 votes, according to trends from counting centres.

Earlier, Congress MP K. Suresh expressed confidence in a decisive UDF victory, saying, “Counting is underway. Our expectation was 100 seats, now we are crossing 89. So, whatever we said before the Exit Poll, that UDF will win more than 100 seats—our prediction will be 100% correct.”

As per Election Commission trends, the UDF has crossed the halfway mark with leads in 82 seats, including 50 for Congress and 17 for the Indian Union Muslim League, while the LDF is leading in 51 seats.

Victory celebrations have begun at UDF camps across Kerala as the alliance leads in over 100 constituencies with counting still underway.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan is trailing after the fifth round of counting as trends continue to emerge.

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal shares a hug with party leader Ramesh Chennithala, state party chief Sunny Jospeh and party MP Shashi Tharoor at the party office in Thiruvananthapuram. 

Congress-led UDF has crossed the majority mark of 71 seats in the state.

#WATCH | Keralam Elections 2026 | Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal shares a hug with party leader Ramesh Chennithala, state party chief Sunny Jospeh and party MP Shashi Tharoor at the party office in Thiruvananthapuram.

Congress-led UDF has crossed the… pic.twitter.com/Zs1UxRFauu

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026

Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala is leading from the Haripad assembly seat by a margin of more than 9675 votes.

Opposition Leader VD Satheesan is now leading in the North Paravur constituency by 995 votes as counting progresses.

State Health minister Veena George of the LDF is trailing significantly behind UDF candidate Abin Varkey in the Aranmula constituency as counting progresses.

Opposition Leader VD Satheesan is trailing in the North Paravoor constituency.

In a major early jolt for the LDF, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is trailing as Congress's Adv. V P Abdul Rasheed lead by 2,523 votes in Dharmadam constituency after Round 2 of 15.

When asked by PTI if he will be a contender for the CM’s post, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, “We have got enough contenders... There should be a revival of Kerala, and I hope to be of some use to the new government.”

Former BJP state president PK Krishnadas expressed “full confidence” in the party’s performance, asserting that the NDA is set to emerge as a decisive force in Kerala’s evolving political landscape. He said the state is witnessing a shift from traditional bipolar politics to a triangular contest.

Speaking to ANI, Krishnadas said, “We have good expectations. In this election, we will win many of the seats out of 140. We have full confidence in this election. After this election, NDA will become the deciding factor in Kerala politics.”

He further added, “At present, Kerala has bipolar politics, with LDF on one side and UDF on the other. But in this election, you can see a tripolar election in Kerala...”

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Trails As UDF Takes Early Lead On 56 Seats, LDF Ahead On 30 as counting continues. 

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "The encouraging thing is that within an hour and a quarter, there seems to be a very clear trend in our favour and even some reasonably popular politicians from the LDF are trailing...I think it's very clear that the Kerala electorate has to be congratulated. They have decided it's time for a change. And even people whose individual popularity we are not disputing seem to be behind. This, I think, is a very good sign. And for us in the UDF, we are not going to make any premature celebrations. But I can see that it'll take already a major reversal for things to look very different..."

He gave the statement to ANI. 

Early counting trends show Adv. Thomas Unniyadan (Kerala Congress) leading in Irinjalakuda with 4,815 votes and a margin of 1,045 after the first round. In Kaduthuruthy, Adv. Mons Joseph (Kerala Congress) is ahead with 4,750 votes, maintaining a margin of 1,631 in the opening round of counting.

 BJP state president Rajeev Chandrashekhar said, 

"I don't want to say anything about the results. Let us wait for the election results to be fully out before I comment. However, I certainly want to take this opportunity to wish all my 'karyakartas', candidates of the NDA, the very best. We have worked very hard and we have put forth a message for the future of Kerala and I am very confident that whatever be the result, the politics of Kerala will change decisively and permanently after these elections."

He gave the statement to PTI. 

As EVM votes are counted, early trends at 9 am indicated that the UDF continues to hold the lead in Kerala.

Sumesh Achuthan is leading in the Chittur constituency in Palakkad district as counting continues.

UDF Takes Early Lead On 33 Seats, LDF On 16; BJP Ahead On 5 Seats

Tension prevailed at a strongroom in Cochin University of Science and Technology in Kalamassery in the initial minutes of vote counting as the key of the facility where EVMs of Kalamassery assembly constituency were kept went missing. The strongroom had to be broken open around 8.30 am as the officials could not find the key, The Hindu reported. 

“Everything is going smoothly now,” an official said.

Kalamassery is one of the keenly watches constituencies with CPI(M) strongman and outgoing Industries Minister P. Rajeeve seeking reelection from there. Mr. Rajeeve faces UDF’s V E Abdul Gafoor and NDA’s M.P. Binu. 

Initial trends following the commencement of counting of votes polled in the April 9 Kerala Assembly elections showed the Congress-led UDF leading in the state.

Visuals from the residence of State LoP and Congress candidate from Paravur Assembly Constituency, VD Satheesan as party supporters keep a track on the counting of votes.

#WATCH | Keralam Elections 2026 | Visuals from the residence of State LoP and Congress candidate from Paravur Assembly Constituency, VD Satheesan as party supporters keep a track on the counting of votes. pic.twitter.com/l31sRGciFs

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026

Congress MP Jebi Mather says, "Its going to be a great victory for the Congress-led UDF. We are expecting over 100 seats and definitely above 85... There is no doubt about the fact that Kerala will have a Congress Chief Minister and the UDF government..."

Congress workers, leaders gather at Contentment House to watch assembly election results as counting of votes underway. 

VIDEO | Kerala Election Results 2026: Congress workers, leaders gather at Contentment House to watch assembly election results as counting of votes underway. #KeralaPollResults2026#Results2026WithPTI#AssemblyElectionResults2026

(Full video available on PTI Videos -… pic.twitter.com/qGKg4KdA9Y

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 4, 2026

Kerala state’s Congress president Sunny Joseph says, “We are fully hopeful. We will win. This will be a repetition of the local body results. We are very confident that we will win. Number we cannot predict…” 

Visuals from Union Christian (UC) College in Aluva, Kochi, which is the primary counting centre for the Ernakulam district. 

VIDEO | Kerala Polls Results 2026: Visuals of strong room from UC College in Aluva, Kochi.

Polling for the 140-member Assembly was held on April 9.#KeralaPollResults2026 #Results2026WithPTI #AssemblyElectionResults2026

(Full video available on PTI Videos -… pic.twitter.com/TtsB8kAK5i

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 4, 2026

Counting of votes polled in the Kerala Assembly elections began at 140 centres across the state.

UDF candidate for Vizhinjam M Vincent confident of victory, says “I am happy that I am going to win, happier that UDF will form government after 10 years”. He gave the statement to ANI. 

Congress Party cadres arrive at Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office in Thiruvananthapuram ahead of counting.

A defeat for the LDF would also mark the first time since the 1960s that Left parties are not in power in any Indian state.

Kerala voted on April 9, following the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, and recorded 78.27% polling, a turnout higher than any in recent Assembly elections. Out of the 140 constituencies, 42 seats recorded more than 80% polling.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan changed his social media bio on Sunday, one day ahead of the counting of votes for the recently held Assembly elections in the State.

The changed bio of Vijayan now reads “Polit Bureau Member, Communist Party of India (Marxist)”.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is eyeing a historic third consecutive term from his home turf. While the constituency is a storied fortress for the Left, the 2026 race is shaping up to be more than just a victory lap, both from the United Democratic Front led by the Congress and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

The UDF had fielded VP Abdul Rasheed against the Chief Minister, whereas on the other hand, K. Ranjith contested on the BJP’s ticket.

The BJP, led in Kerala by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, is pushing hard for a historic breakthrough in the state, backed by an intense and wide-ranging campaign. The visible cracks within the INDIA bloc, combined with what promises to be a closely fought contest, suggest that the final outcome could well come down to the performance of smaller parties and independent candidates.

The CPI(M)-led LDF is seeking a rare third consecutive term in power, which would further cement its break from Kerala's long-standing tradition of alternating governments between the Left and the Congress. The outcome carries significant weight, both for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's political future and for the Left's standing on the national stage.

On the other side, the Congress-led UDF under V D Satheesan is banking on anti-incumbency sentiment and corruption allegations against the ruling dispensation to project itself as the voice of change in the state.

A look at Kerala's last three Assembly elections points to deep-rooted political loyalties across the state. Of the 140 seats, 87 have stayed with the same parties since 2011, reflecting how entrenched voter allegiances remain largely unchanged over the years.
Geographically, the CPI(M)-led LDF under Pinarayi Vijayan has continued to dominate several northern districts, while the Congress-led UDF has maintained its stronghold in central Kerala. The IUML, meanwhile, remains the undisputed force in Malappuram.

If the Congress-led UDF alliance wins Kerala, the question of who will become Chief Minister remains wide open. Several senior leaders are in the running for the top post, with exit polls not only predicting a UDF victory but also pointing to Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan as the most preferred CM candidate among voters.

However, the race is not settled yet. Alongside Satheesan, veteran leaders Ramesh Chennithala and K C Venugopal have also been cited as strong contenders for the Chief Minister's chair, making the final decision one to watch closely.

Multiple exit polls have projected a victory for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala. However, many surveys suggested a narrow margin, indicating a close contest between the UDF and the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).

In Kerala’s 140-member Legislative Assembly, the halfway mark required to form a government is 71 seats. In 2021, the CPI (M)-led LDF formed the government in the state after winning 99 of the 140 assembly seats. The Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government has been in power in Kerala since 2016.