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- Kerala Election Results 2026 Live Updates: Congress emerges single largest party with 63 seats, UDF set to form govt
Kerala Election Results 2026 Live Updates: Congress emerges single largest party with 63 seats, UDF set to form govt
Kerala Election Results 2026: Shift from bipolar to triangular contest
This election marks a gradual shift from Kerala’s traditional bipolar structure, dominated by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF), to a more competitive triangular contest. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has emerged as a third force, adding complexity to the electoral landscape. While the LDF and UDF continue to dominate in terms of seat share, the BJP’s consistent vote share of around 10 to 16 per cent has made several constituencies more competitive and unpredictable.
Kerala Election Results 2026: Key leaders and alliances in focus
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is seeking a rare third consecutive term, banking on his governance record that emphasises welfare schemes, infrastructure development and administrative control. The Congress-led UDF, under the leadership of VD Satheesan, has positioned itself as the primary challenger, focusing on governance accountability, fiscal stress and unemployment. Meanwhile, the BJP, led by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, is attempting to expand its footprint by highlighting economic concerns and job creation, particularly in select urban and semi-urban regions.
Kerala Election Results 2026: Core issues shape voter sentiment
The election has been influenced by a range of key issues, including unemployment, rising public debt, youth migration and debates over Kerala’s welfare model. Governance performance and administrative efficiency have also emerged as central themes in the campaign. Additionally, the Sabarimala controversy continues to have political resonance, particularly for the BJP, adding a socio-religious dimension to the electoral narrative and influencing voter mobilisation in certain constituencies.
Kerala Election Results 2026: Exit polls point to tight contest
Exit polls indicate a closely fought election, with projections divided between a narrow UDF advantage and a possible LDF continuation in power. The 2021 Assembly election highlighted how competitive Kerala contests can be, with several seats decided by very small margins. Current projections suggest a similar scenario, where no single alliance has a clear and overwhelming lead.
Kerala Election Results 2026: Outcome hinges on marginal shifts
With high voter turnout and a fragmented vote base, the final outcome is expected to depend on small but decisive shifts across key constituencies rather than any sweeping statewide trend. As counting progresses, attention will remain on early leads, swing seats and the performance of the NDA as a third force. The verdict will ultimately determine whether Kerala continues with the incumbent government or returns to its traditional pattern of political alternation.
Kerala Election Results 2026: Key highlights
- 78.27% turnout across 140 constituencies reflects strong voter participation
- Counting begins at 8 am today; early trends expected within hours
- Contest evolving into triangular fight with NDA as third force
- Pinarayi Vijayan seeks rare third consecutive term
- Final outcome likely to hinge on narrow margins and constituency-level shifts
According to an official statement from the Raj Bhavan, the Governor congratulated the election authorities for ensuring the smooth conduct of the polling process.
In the April 9 Assembly elections, the Congress-led United Democratic Front registered a sweeping win by securing 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly. The Left Democratic Front won 35 seats, while the BJP secured three constituencies.
"The 10 years of LDF government created so many difficulties for the people...they were fed up with that government. That is why they chose the UDF for governance," he added.
In Thiruvalla, BJP state general secretary Anoop Antony secured the second position with 43,078 votes, losing to Kerala Congress (KEC) candidate advocate Varghese Mammen by a margin of 10,146 votes. Antony also significantly improved the BJP’s performance in the constituency compared to the 2021 assembly elections. While the party had finished third in 2021 with a 16.25 percent vote share, it increased its tally to 30.61 percent this time.
The former Kerala Chief Minister said the outcome clearly pointed to an “undercurrent of anti-government sentiment” throughout the state, which worked against the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF).
"The results of the Kerala elections clearly show that there is an undercurrent of anti-government cyclone throughout the state. A third term for the LDF would have been a disaster for Kerala," Antony said.
He further criticised the left government, alleging that ten years of governance failed to address public concerns and that the leadership could not understand the pulse of the people.
"Ten years of misrule, the Left could not understand the pulse of the people," the Congress leader said.
Joseph, who retained the Peravoor seat by defeating senior CPI(M) leader and former Health Minister K K Shailaja, urged the CPI(M) to introspect on its defeat and understand the mood at the grassroots level.
Addressing reporters in Kannur, he said that if traditional Left strongholds like Kannur had been shaken in the April 9 Assembly polls, the impact of the result would be felt across the state.
"The verdict is a huge setback to the CPI(M)'s violent, autocratic and arrogant politics. The Chief Minister promoted violence, and the people have voted against such stands," Joseph alleged.
The Congress-led UDF on Monday stormed back to power in Kerala after a 10-year hiatus, riding a larger-than-expected anti-incumbency wave against the Pinarayi Vijayan govt. It secured a commanding 102 seats in the 140-member assembly, a scale of victory that surprised even its own ranks. The BJP, meanwhile, registered a modest but notable breakthrough, winning three seats.The LDF's rout is widely attributed to public anger over what critics describe as Vijayan's increasingly authoritarian style, particularly following the front's historic re-election in 2021. The decisive edge the UDF secured in 2025 local body polls already lifted the opposition's prospects, but the ruling front managed to project the contest as a tightly fought battle.
Read moreDespite much hype, Twenty20, which joined NDA, couldn’t make an impact in assembly elections or even improve its vote share. The party which got 42,000 votes in its home turf Kunnathunad in 2021 elections, could mop up only 34,000 votes this time. In Thrikkakara and Tripunithura the party candidates were expected to perform well but couldn’t garner votes as expected. Tripunithura is one of the strongholds of BJP where the party assumed power in municipal elections in 2025. But Anjali Nair, the Twenty20 candidate, who contested on behalf of the NDA in Tripunithura could mop up only less than 30,000 votes. In Kunnathunad, Twenty20 candidate got around 42,000 votes in 2021 and the BJP candidate got around 8,000 votes. When Twenty20 joined the NDA, the vote was expected to increase. But the vote share declined by around 8,000 in this elections. Promy Kuriakose, who contested on Twenty20 ticket from Angamaly, could mobilize only 9,893 votes. The BJP candidate who contested from Angamaly in 2021 got 8,677 votes. Despite Twenty20 joining the BJP-led front in 2026, the front could increase the votes by around 800 which is very nominal.
Read moreIt is a very happy moment for every worker of BJP because for years BJP-NDA were shut out of Keralam's politics by the CPM and the Congress. That lock has finally been breached by the people of Keralam. 3 MLAs of the BJP will be in the Assembly in the next 5 years. 6 candidates came close in second position. There are over 15 seats, where we have got a significant amount of votes. It is finally a three-way politics now. As we go forward, it is clear that CPM and Congress will merge into one pole. There is certainly no future for CPM. The future of Keralam's politics will be BJP-NDA on one side and Congress and CPM on the other side.
Keralam BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar
For senior leaders, the victory goes beyond politics and is being seen as an emotional moment, with many describing it as a restoration of “people’s trust.”
Amid the celebrations, internal positioning has also started within the Congress over the Chief Minister’s post.
Three key leaders have emerged as frontrunners for the role in the state Congress: Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan, senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, and AICC general secretary and Lok Sabha MP K C Venugopal.
As CPM recorded one of its poorest electoral performances in decades in assembly election, defeat suffered at the hands of its former senior leader G Sudhakaran added to party’s setbacks. Months after severing ties with CPM, Sudhakaran emerged victorious from Ambalappuzha constituency as an independent candidate backed by UDF when results were declared on Monday. Sudhakaran secured 75,184 votes, defeating CPM candidate H Salam, who polled 47,249 votes, by a margin of 27,935 votes.
Read moreI think the party will have to do some very serious introspection, no doubt about it. We've said this before, and today we have a very good example of what worked right. If we can get it right in Kerala, what can we do to get it right elsewhere? That is a lesson the Congress party should learn.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor
It began in near silence at Cantonment House — just a handful of party workers, eyes fixed on a giant screen, clapping each time the UDF’s lead inched forward at 9am. There were only enough crowd to annoy a bevy of swans at the lawn. But by 10.30am, that quiet vigil had turned into a roar. As opposition leader V D Satheesan — hailed as the architect of Congress’s return to power after a decade — moved to Indira Bhavan at 11am, the state party headquarters erupted. Workers thronged the gates, dancing, shouting slogans, jostling for a glimpse of their leaders. For the Congress foot soldiers, denied power for a decade, it was the day of a spectacular comeback. More and more people streamed in as if apparently all roads led to the Indira Bhavan. Satheesan cut a giant-sized cake along with KPCC president Sunny Joseph, senior leaders K C Venugopal, Ramesh Chennithala and Kodikkunnil Suresh. They shared a bonhomie when Joseph announced that the result, though not fully out, was a sign that people have rejected the anti-people policies of the LDF govt.
Read moreThe humiliating defeat of CPM-led LDF primarily reflects the failure of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his despotic tendencies, which neither the party leadership nor his cabinet colleagues kept in check or acknowledged as a vice. The fall in CPM's tally from 62 to 26 is not just a change in the order of numbers. It is a call for CPM to put its house in order.The reduced number of seats CPM won in election poses multiple questions.Now, Left has lost the only state in the country it was in power for the past 10 years. The usual practice of finding the reasons for the defeat and closing the chapter with a somewhat hollow declaration to indulge in self-correction may not work anymore. Unless CPM shuns hypocrisy and acknowledges that it was party cadres that failed its candidates in Payyannur and Taliparamba, it may not be able to make a meaningful correction.
Read moreRahul Gandhi also thanked voters, calling it a “decisive mandate,” while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed gratitude and said the UDF would work to fulfil its commitments. She noted that Wayanad delivered all seven seats to the alliance.
The defeat marks a major setback for the Left at the national level. The result was further dented by wins of rebel leaders, including V. Kunhikrishnan in Payyannur and T. K. Govindan in Thaliparamba, highlighting internal dissent within the party.
Kerala is a sigh of relief for Congress that appeared to have lost the skill of winning. Haryana and Maharashtra were winnable, but it came up way short.
The Congress-led UDF unseated the incumbent government, winning 63 out of 140 seats, while the LDF secured 26 seats. Mallikarjun Kharge thanked voters for backing the alliance, saying the victory marks the beginning of “true welfare and real economic empowerment” in the state.
Kharge also credited party leaders, workers and allies for their “relentless hard work and dedication.” He described the results as a “mixed bag” but stressed the party remains committed to “truth, justice, and inclusivity.” With counting nearly complete, the UDF is set to form the government, securing around 100 seats.
The defeat of the LDF in Kerala has left parties of the left front without power in any state for the first time in decades, underscoring a broader national decline in their political influence.
This also marks a sharp shift from their earlier position as both a governing force in key states and a significant bloc in national politics.
The Left will be without control of any state for the first time in almost five decades, marking a significant shift from its earlier position as both a governing force in states and an influential bloc in national politics.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won 102 seats, while the LDF won in 35 out of the 140 constituencies. In a limited sign of presence elsewhere, a lone Left candidate, Md. Mostafijur Rahaman of CPI(M) won from Domkal in West Bengal, while another AISF candidate Md Nawsad Siddique got elected from Bhangar.
CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby described the latest round of assembly election results as a "serious setback" for the Left, particularly in Kerala, while warning that the growing footprint of the BJP across states poses a wider challenge to secular politics and the opposition's INDIA bloc.
He said the results underline "two major features" - the defeat of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala after 10 years in power and the BJP's strengthening position in states like West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry.
On West Bengal, he said, "Even in such a polarised situation, the Left has marginally improved its performance. In over 30 constituencies, our position has improved, though we expected a far better outcome".
Kerala, governed by the LDF since 2016, has been the last remaining state where Left parties exercised executive authority. Earlier strongholds slipped away over the past decade, with the Left Front losing power in West Bengal in 2011 after 34 uninterrupted years, followed by the fall of its government in Tripura in 2018.
Since then, Kerala has served as the only base of state power for Communist parties.
The state occupies a distinct place in political history. In 1957, it elected the world's first democratically chosen Communist government under EMS Namboodiripad, lending global visibility to parliamentary communism.
It remained in power until 1959, when it was dismissed by the Centre.
Following the 1964 split in the Communist movement, Namboodiripad returned as Chief Minister in 1967'“1969, this time representing the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and heading a broad coalition. This was followed by governments led by C Achutha Menon of the CPI from 1969 to 1970 and again from 1970 to 1977, the latter with Congress support.
The Left later consolidated under the LDF, formally constituted in 1980, under which Left governments have since been formed in 1980, 1987, 1996, 2006, 2016, and 2021.
Over the decades, Kerala evolved into a key centre of Left politics, with power alternating between the LDF and the UDF in a largely stable bipolar system.
While Left governments appeared intermittently in the decades following Independence, their presence was not continuous. The turning point came in 1977, when the Left Front assumed office in West Bengal, beginning an uninterrupted phase of governance that lasted over three decades. Alongside periodic governments in Tripura and Kerala, this ensured that Left parties were almost always in power in at least one state.
At the national level, the Left once occupied a far more influential position. In the years following Independence, the Communist Party of India (CPI) emerged as the largest opposition party in Parliament.
Through the 1990s and 2000s, Left parties remained a significant parliamentary bloc in Lok Sabha, often playing a key role in coalition politics.
In the 1990s, the combined strength of Left parties in the Lok Sabha fluctuated but remained substantial - standing at about 52 MPs in 1991, rising to around 60 in 1996, and then settling at around 45 in 1998 and about 43 in 1999. Their influence peaked in 2004, when they won 61 seats and extended outside support to the Congress-led UPA government, exercising considerable leverage over policy decisions, particularly on welfare and economic issues.
They even came close to having a prime minister from the CPI(M) when the United Front government was formed in 1996, and Jyoti Basu was offered the prime ministerial position.
It is said it was the "Kerala lobby" in CPI(M) that had taken a stand against it, and Basu had turned down the post. The same lobby was also said to be responsible for withdrawing support from the Manmohan Singh government in 2007.
The decline of Left also coincided with structural changes in the economy and polity.
Economic liberalisation and the expansion of the informal sector weakened traditional labour bases, while the rise of identity-driven politics reshaped electoral alignments. In states where the Left governed for extended periods, anti-incumbency and organisational fatigue also contributed to electoral setbacks.
Electoral setbacks in traditional strongholds, especially West Bengal and Tripura, sharply reduced their parliamentary presence. In recent Lok Sabha terms, the Left's tally has fallen to single digits. In the 18th Lok Sabha, the CPI(M) has four MPs, CPI and CPI(ML) Liberation have two MPs each.
Observers say the loss in Kerala would further accentuate this decline by removing the Left's last platform of state governance. State power has traditionally provided organisational support, visibility and a base for cadre mobilisation, which in turn fed into national influence.
In Kerala, the LDF had managed to retain support longer than elsewhere, aided by welfare-oriented policies and relatively strong social indicators. (PTI)
The Communist Party of India (CPI) won 8 seats, Kerala Congress (KEC) 7 seats, and RSP 3 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed 3 seats, while smaller parties including RJD, RMPOI, KEC(J), CMPKSC, and Independents together accounted for the remaining seats.
In Kanhangad, Adv. Govindan Pallikappil led with 79,920 votes, securing a margin of 15,316 votes. Muhammed Muhassin won Pattambi with 80,062 votes, while K. Rajan and Geetha Gopi secured victories in Ollur and Nattika respectively.
CPI also retained Kaipamangalam through K.K. Valsaraj and Cherthala with P. Prasad winning by 14,489 votes. In Punalur and Nedumangad, C. Ajayaprasad and G. R. Anil delivered decisive wins with margins crossing 21,000 votes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wish to see the BJP’s rise in electoral politics in Kerala now rests on its three entrants to the state Assembly, among whom are two former union ministers.
The BJP in Kerala, which has long struggled to secure a political foothold in a state traditionally witnessing a bipolar contest between the LDF and UDF, on Monday made significant gains in the Assembly elections by winning three seats.
The State Assembly, set to be dominated by the Congress-led UDF with the LDF in opposition, will also have three BJP members, marking a significant development for the party in the southern state.
The CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF had dismissed the BJP’s chances of winning any seats, but the saffron party defied expectations by securing three constituencies, all from the Left front.
Though the outcome may appear modest to the UDF and LDF, for the BJP—long politically marginal in Kerala—these wins are being seen as a breakthrough.
The results also reflect the efforts of the party’s star campaigners, including PM Narendra Modi, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, and Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nirmala Sitharaman, who made several visits to Kerala to boost the party’s prospects.
The efforts appear to have paid off to some extent, even as the party had initially hoped to reach double-digit seats.
Two of the seats—Nemom and Kazhakoottam—are in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation area, where the BJP has a significant presence, as reflected in its control of the civic body in the recent local body polls.
The third seat, Chathannoor, is in Kollam district, close to the state capital.
Of the three BJP winners, two are former Union Ministers of State—Rajeev Chandrasekhar and V Muraleedharan—both of whom had contested and lost from Thiruvananthapuram in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The third, B B Gopakumar, a local party leader, won the Chathannoor seat on his third attempt.
However, senior BJP leaders K Surendran, Padmaja Venugopal and Sobha Surendran were unsuccessful.
Both K Surendran and Padmaja Venugopal lost in their third consecutive attempts from Manjeshwar and Thrissur, respectively, while Sobha Surendran lost from Palakkad for the second time, having earlier contested there in 2016.
Notably, the BJP fielded candidates in 98 seats and allotted the remaining to allies, Twenty20 and Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS).
The BJP has long struggled to make political inroads in Kerala, which has traditionally seen a bipolar contest between the LDF and UDF.
Though it won Nemom in the 2016 Assembly elections, the seat returned to the CPI(M) in 2021, and the BJP’s electoral breakthrough came only in 2024 when it won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat.
It later won the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation in the 2025 local body polls and has now secured three seats in the State Assembly.
At the same time, the party’s vote share dropped to 11.42 per cent in the Assembly elections, according to Election Commission data. It was around 15 per cent in the local body polls.
Reacting to the outcome, Chandrasekhar said it was largely an anti-CPI(M) election, with both the UDF and BJP benefiting.
He also described the elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala as being “against the INDIA bloc” and claimed that voters had helped defeat governments of that political front in those states.
He said the results marked the final phase of what he termed Marxist-style governance.
Chandrasekhar further claimed that during the past 10 years of LDF rule, there was no effective opposition in the state, as the Congress remained silent due to its INDIA bloc alignment. (PTI)
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of CPI(M) secured a decisive victory in Dharmadam constituency in the 2026 Kerala Assembly election, winning 85,614 votes and leading by a margin of 19,247 votes. Congress candidate Adv. V. P. Abdul Rasheed finished second with 66,367 votes, while BJP’s K. Ranjith came third with 18,555 votes.
The contest saw CPI(M) maintain a comfortable lead throughout counting, while independent candidates and others remained far behind. NOTA recorded 813 votes.
The 2026 Kerala Assembly election saw strong performances from Independent and regional candidates across three constituencies. In Payyannur, V. Kunhikrishnan secured victory with 76,640 votes, winning by a margin of 7,487. Mani C. Kappen won Pala with 50,799 votes, leading by 2,991 votes. In Ambalappuzha, G. SudhaKaran registered a decisive win with 75,184 votes, securing the largest margin of 27,935 votes.
The Chathannoor constituency in the 2026 Kerala Assembly election witnessed a competitive three-way fight, with B.B. Gopakumar of the BJP emerging victorious. He secured 51,923 votes, defeating CPI’s Adv. R. Rajendran, who finished second with 47,525 votes, trailing by 4,398 votes.
Congress candidate Sooraj Ravi came in third with 35,276 votes, while other contestants, including those from AAP and smaller parties, remained far behind in the race. NOTA recorded 728 votes.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar of the BJP clinched the Nemom seat in the 2026 Kerala Assembly election, securing 57,192 votes (40.75%) and defeating CPI(M)’s V. Sivankutty, who put up a strong fight with 52,214 votes (37.20%). Congress candidate Adv. K. S. Sabarinadhan finished third with 29,730 votes (21.18%).
The contest remained tightly fought between BJP and CPI(M) through the counting rounds, but Chandrasekhar maintained a steady lead to seal the win. Other candidates, including those from SUCI(C), Aam Aadmi Party, and independents, secured only marginal vote shares, while NOTA received 604 votes (0.43%).
The 2026 Puthuppally Assembly election delivered a decisive mandate as Adv. Chandy Oommen of the Congress party clinched a resounding victory with 84,031 votes, commanding an impressive 65.56% vote share. His closest rival, K. M. Radhakrishnan of CPI(M), trailed significantly with 31,124 votes (24.28%), while BJP candidate Raveendranath Vakathanam secured 11,544 votes (9.01%). The remaining candidates, including BSP, NOTA, JRP, and an Independent contender, accounted for a marginal share of the total votes.
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 Keralam.
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 Keralam Assembly
After securing victory, he underlined that this election witnessed a very strong anti-incumbency against the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
"It is for the first time that we are seeing that the party is being supported by the people across the board. We saw that in the local body elections, when the people of Thiruvananthapuram gave NDA the mandate to govern the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, and it follows from that that in these Assembly elections, there was a very strong anti-incumbency against the CPI (M). These elections were more about throwing out the CPI (M). We have put forth a very comprehensive vision for PM for development and opportunities for all Malayalis. We are very happy that there are 2 MLAs in the Keralam Assembly to represent the NDA and the people of Keralam for the first time in the history of the State. This will be the start of a new beginning for Keralam's development," he said.
Keralam went to the polls in a single phase on April 9, with a strong voter turnout of 78.27 per cent.
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.
“I am extremely happy, very proud, and deeply grateful to all the BJP-NDA workers who made this win possible. I thank the people of Nemom for giving me the opportunity to serve them,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF has crossed the majority mark in the 140-member Assembly, with early trends showing it ahead of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF). The outcome is being seen as a strong anti-incumbency verdict against the CPI(M)-led government after 10 years in power.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
Chennithala secured 68,184 votes, while Jismon polled 44,807 votes after 15 rounds of counting.
In another key result for the United Democratic Front (UDF), Chandy Oommen, son of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, won from Puthuppally by a decisive margin of 52,907 votes against CPI(M) candidate K M Radhakrishnan. Chandy secured 84,031 votes, while Radhakrishnan received 31,124 votes, according to Election Commission data.
Meanwhile, in Dharmadam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was leading by 11,800 votes with 74,476 votes after 13 rounds of counting against Congress candidate V P Abdul Rasheed.
In Nemom, Minister V Sivankutty was trailing against BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar by 1,789 votes after 11 rounds of counting.
Overall, the Kerala Assembly election results appear to signal a strong performance for the UDF, which is poised to return to power after a decade.
Early Election Commission trends showed the Congress-led alliance leading in around 95 constituencies around 1 pm, while the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) was ahead in 36 seats.
Although anti-incumbency against the 10-year LDF government was widely anticipated, the scale of the UDF’s lead has drawn attention. The alliance had also performed strongly in recent local body elections as well as the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
While a UDF resurgence was widely expected in 2021, the LDF had managed an unexpected victory then. This time, factors such as public dissatisfaction and controversies, including the Sabarimala gold theft case, are being seen as possible contributors to the LDF’s setback.
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.
Kerala Election Results 2026: From bipolar to triangular contest
The traditional bipolar structure of Kerala politics, dominated by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF), is gradually evolving into a more complex triangular contest. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is attempting to expand its presence and disrupt the long-standing alternation of power between LDF and UDF. While the BJP is yet to emerge as a major seat winner, its consistent vote share has introduced an additional layer of competition in several constituencies.
Kerala Election Results 2026: Pinarayi Vijayan eyes historic third term
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is seeking a rare third consecutive term, a significant milestone in Kerala’s political history, where power has traditionally alternated between alliances. His governance model, centred on welfare expansion, infrastructure development and administrative centralisation, has drawn both support and criticism. A victory would strengthen his political legacy and reinforce the LDF’s governance narrative, while a defeat could signal a return to the state’s established anti-incumbency trend.
Kerala Election Results 2026: UDF banks on anti-incumbency sentiment
The Congress-led UDF, backed by leaders such as VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and Chandy Oommen, along with national figures Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, has positioned the election as a referendum on governance. The alliance has focused on issues including fiscal stress, unemployment and administrative accountability. Its strategy relies heavily on anti-incumbency sentiment and recent gains in local body elections to build momentum.
Kerala Election Results 2026: NDA seeks to expand footprint
The BJP-led NDA, with leaders like Rajeev Chandrasekhar and V Muraleedharan, is aiming to break Kerala’s bipolar pattern. Its campaign has centred on economic development, unemployment and dissatisfaction with both LDF and UDF governance. Although the BJP has historically secured limited seats, it maintains a steady vote share of around 10 to 16 per cent, indicating gradual growth and targeted influence in select regions.
Kerala Election Results 2026: Past results and current projections
The 2021 Assembly election saw the LDF secure 99 seats with a 45.43 per cent vote share, while the UDF won 41 seats with 39.47 per cent. The BJP managed just one seat despite securing 10.41 per cent of the vote. However, several constituencies witnessed narrow margins, highlighting the competitive nature of the state’s politics. Exit polls for the current election suggest a closely fought contest, with projections split between a narrow UDF advantage and a possible LDF continuation.
Kerala Election Results 2026: Verdict to test Kerala’s political pattern
As counting begins, the key question remains whether Kerala will continue its recent deviation from the traditional power cycle or revert to its long-standing pattern of alternating governments. With high voter turnout, evolving political dynamics and a competitive three-way contest, the final outcome is expected to play a crucial role in shaping the state’s political trajectory.
