With exit poll predictions in Kerala coming in, pollsters till now have predicted a tight contest, while handing an advantage to the Congress-led UDF.
People’s Pulse had predicted 75-85 seats for UDF, and between 55-65 seats for the LDF. The pollster gave NDA between 0-3 seats.
Kerala voted in a single phase on April 9 for the 140-seat Assembly elections, with the results expected to be announced on May 4. The incumbent Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by Communist Party of India (M), has been the ruling political alliance of Kerala since 2016. The other major alliance in the Indian National Congress-led United Democratic Front.
While the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government had last year managed to break the four-decade pattern of alternating governments in the state, it remains to see if he can achieve a rare historic feat for a third term. Vijayan is contesting from the Dharmadam Assembly constituency in Kannur.
LDF has, in the past, won a total of 6 elections out of 10 since the formation of the alliance in 1980.
What were the results in 2021?
LDF made history in 2021 after being elected for a second consecutive term. The alliance secured 99 seats, of which CPI(M) won 62, while the UDF got only 41 seats.
The LDF’s vote share was 45.43%, while the UDF’s was 39.47%. The BJP-led NDA had a vote share of 12.4%, but could not win any seats. In 2021, Pinarayi Vijayan became the first chief minister in Kerala to be re-elected, and it was the first time since 1977 that a ruling alliance won consecutively in the state.
