A triangular battle between BJP's Shobha Surendran, Congress-led UDF's candidate, actor Ramesh Pisharody and LDF-backed indpendent NMR Razak in unfolding in Kerala's Palakkad assembly constituency.
The constituency has attracted attention after Surendran took lead earlier in day, hinting at a breakthrough for the BJP in the state.
However, latest counting figures show that Pisharody has gained an edge over his opponent and is leading with a fine margin of 10,817 votes as opposed to the BJP candidate. Amid a cut-throat battle between the two parties, Razak seems to be losing his ground.
The independent candidate who filed his nomination with support from the Left Democratic Front in March has a total of 22,177 votes in his kitty so far and is trailing behind.
At the same time, actor turned politician Pisharody has manage bag 49,321 votes and Surendran has a total of 38,504 votes.
Follow all live updates of the Kerala Assembly elections here.
Kerala State Assembly Elections 2026
The counting of votes for all 140 Assembly seats in Kerala is currently underway with UDF heading for thumping win with leads in 97 seats. Polling was held on April 9, 2026 to elect members of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, and results are expected to be out shortly.
As per the established counting procedure, ballot box votes — which register the mandate of armed forces personnel — will be tallied first, followed by votes recorded in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
The majority mark stands at 71 seats, with the primary contest being between the ruling Left Democratic Front and the United Democratic Front, along with regional parties playing a role in several constituencies.
Amid this contest, Palakkad stood out as it gave a brief window of lead to the BJP, which is yet to make a noticeable dent in the political landscape of the left-dominated state.
With high stakes and close contests anticipated across the state, counting day is expected to be keenly watched across Kerala and the nation.
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