The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) appears to be gaining ground, setting up a possible comeback in Kerala, a state long considered the Left
Democratic Front’s (LDF) last remaining stronghold. If the Left loses Kerala, the party would be left with no Indian state where it would be in the ruling saddle. After the first few hours of counting, the UDF has secured a decisive lead in Kerala. At 12 noon, the Indian National Congress is leading at 56 seats, supported strongly by the Indian Union Muslim League (23) and Kerala Congress (7), consolidating a comfortable position. Check Live Updates Here On the other side, the CPI(M) stands at 30 seats, with its ally CPI at 11, reflecting a significantly weaker performance for the Left Democratic Front (LDF) compared to expectations in its traditional stronghold. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief Sunny Joseph expressed confidence that the UDF will reach the 100 seat mark. "It indicates a pro-UDF trend in the state. We will reach the 100 seats mark," he told a TV channel, as quoted by PTI. "Thankful to the Kerala people for giving us a thumping victory in the Legislative Assembly election. This is a repetition of what has happened in the local body. This is a clear verdict against the LDF for their anti-people activities and policies," he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the majority of the state ministers were trailing in the initial rounds of counting. Among other ministers facing early deficits were Veena George, M B Rajesh, O R Kelu, R Bindhu, J Chinchurani, P Rajeev, K B Ganesh Kumar, V N Vasavan, V Sivankutty, V Abdurahiman, Kadannappally Ramachandran A K Saseendran and Roshy Augustine.
What May Have Acted in Congress' Favour
1. Anti-Incumbency: Anti-incumbency appears to have played a significant role against the CPI(M)-led government and in favour of the Congress. The Left has been in power for two successive terms under Chief Minister Vijayan.
2. Minority Votes: The UDF also appears to have benefited from a consolidation of minority votes in many regions, which traditionally act as a decisive bloc in Kerala's electoral politics.
3. Welfare Push: The welfare push is also likely to have benefitted the Congress bloc. The campaign, led by Rahul Gandhi, focused heavily on welfare assurances, including targeted outreach to women voters through promises linked to financial support and social security, which may have resonated with the voters.
(With PTI Inputs)
