Kerala polls: UDF sees sharp rise in vote share

KOCHI: UDF's historic victory in the assembly polls has been driven by a significant shift in vote shares compared to previous elections. While Left parties like CPM and CPI witnessed a decline in their support base, key UDF constituents, including the Congress and the IUML, registered notable gains. Meanwhile, the vote share of BJP, which won three seats for the first time in its electoral history in the state, remained largely stable.In the UDF, Congress witnessed a considerable rise in its vote share over successive elections. From 25.12% in 2021, its vote share increased to 28.79% in 2026, marking an increase of 3.67%. Indian Union Muslim League also improved its performance, with its vote share rising from 8.27% to 11.01%, an increase of 2.74%.In contrast, the CPM, the leading party in the LDF, saw a notable decline. Its vote share dropped from 25.38% in 2021 to 21.77% in 2026, a decrease of 3.61%. CPI also registered a marginal fall, with its vote share slipping from 7.58% to 6.64%.BJP's vote share, however, remained almost unchanged despite winning Nemom, Kazhakkoottam and Chathannoor assembly constituencies this time. The party had secured 11.3% vote share in 2021, which increased to 11.42% in 2026, recording a marginal increase of 0.12 percentage.Despite this stability, BJP's performance in the 2026 assembly election fell significantly short of the 19.2% vote share it achieved in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, when it also opened its Lok Sabha account in Kerala by winning the Thrissur constituency.