Kerala voters are highly polarised on the Left Front government's performance with corruption allegations and welfare delivery pulling opinions on opposite sides, according to a pre-poll survey. The state is due to hold Assembly elections in April.
The 'State Vibe: Kerala Elections 2026 – Round 2' released by VoteVibe election agency has presented a thematic snapshot of the southern state's pre‑election political climate on a survey of 2,615 respondents. Only 35.8% rate the government positively, while a sizeable 44.3% rate it negatively, signalling governance fatigue
The issue‑driven election will be close, with neither the ruling Left Democratic Front nor the opposition United Democratic Front entering the race with a decisive advantage.
Women view the 10-year old LDF government more favourably than men, while older age groups tend to be more positive. General category voters have expressed the harshest opinions, the survey found.
Welfare remains the LDF's strongest pillar. The report said 44.5% of voters are satisfied with schemes like LIFE Mission, KASP, and Kudumbashree. Women and SC households have shown the highest satisfaction levels, making welfare a key retention factor for LDF among these groups.
Top Electoral Issues
The top public concerns are all anti‑incumbency drivers:
- Unemployment – 23.2%
- Price Rise – 18.8%
- Alcoholism & Drug Abuse – 11.4%
- Corruption – 9.7%
Collectively, these make up more than half of all voter concerns. Development is a low‑salience issue at just 3.2%, restricting the LDF's ability to campaign on achievements.
Corruption Perception
A significant 44.2% of voters believe corruption allegations against the LDF are true. This severely dents trust despite the government's strong welfare record. Younger and middle‑aged voters, particularly the 25-34 cohort, show the strongest belief in corruption charges.
Leadership Preferences
The most striking finding is Congress leader VD Satheesan's rise. The UDF opposition leader leads the Chief Minister preference list at 25.2%, ahead of incumbent Pinarayi Vijayan at 21.5%. Former minister and popular CPIM leader KK Shailaja (15.8%) and BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar (10%) follow.
Satheeshan dominates among youth, OBC, Muslim, and Christian voters, while Vijayan retains strength among SC and older voters. This leadership gap reflects voter desire for change, even though overall LDF–UDF preference remains nearly even.
ALSO READ: Kerala To Keralam: Union Cabinet Approves Name Change Of 'God's Own Country'
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.