Kerala voted for the Lok Sabha elections in a single phase on April 9, recording a turnout of 78 per cent at the polls. The high-stakes election battle in Kerala is between the CPI-Maoist-led Liberal Democratic Front, the main opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front, and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA.
After voting for all four states and one union territory concludes with the second phase of polling in West Bengal concluding on Wednesday (April 29), predictions regarding the results will start emerging after 6.30 pm. While Kerala, Assam, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu voted on April 9, West Bengal voted in two phases on April 23 and 29.
This year, Kerala surpassed the previous polling figure of 74.06% in the 2021 Assembly elections, according to trends provided by the Election Commission of India.
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How accurate are Kerala exit polls in 2021?
Kerala exit polls in 2021 have predicted around 100 seats for the CPI(M) led by LDF, with different ranges given by each poll. Axis My India predicted 104-120 seats for LDF and 20-36 for UDF, while CVoter predicted LDF 71-77 seats and UDF 62-68. Republic-CNX predicted 72-80 seats for the LDF and 58-64 seats for the UDF, and News24-Chanakya Today predicted 102 seats for the LDF.
While the ranges varied, almost all pollsters gave the United Democratic Front a comfortable win, correctly measuring the extent to which the pattern of alternation of governments being elected in the state was broken. When the final results came in, the results were largely in line with expectations, with the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF securing 99 seats in the 140-seat Assembly. Of these, the CPI (Maoist) bagged 62 seats. The United Democratic Front was able to secure only 41 seats.
Pinarayi Vijayan is seeking a historic third term
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a CPI(M) veteran, is seeking a historic third consecutive term in the 2026 Assembly elections. Vijayan, who represents the Dharmadam constituency, has risen through the party ranks to become the state’s 12th Chief Minister, a position he has held since 2016.
After his election in 2016, his government was re-elected in the 2021 elections, with the Democratic Left Front gaining successive terms in power. If the veteran leader succeeds in leading his party to power in 2026 as well, he would have achieved a feat not achieved by any Kerala politician since 1957, according to an earlier HT report.
Vijayan has already dropped the party’s previous two-term limit for legislators. The Kerala Cabinet has positioned the LDF as the “only force” capable of resisting the RSS ideology in the state.
