Top News

Congress Celebrates At Keralam HQ After UDF Crosses Majority; Will Shashi Tharoor Become CM?
Apoorva Gupta | May 4, 2026 3:11 PM CST

Celebrations began at the Congress headquarters on Monday as the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) crossed the majority mark of 71 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly, with early counting trends indicating a strong advantage for the opposition alliance in line with exit poll predictions.

Senior leaders, including K. C. Venugopal, Sunny Joseph, V. D. Satheesan, Shashi Tharoor, K. Suresh and Ramesh Chennithala, were seen cutting a cake to mark the early lead.

After the initial rounds of counting, the UDF was leading in 108 seats, while the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) trailed with leads in about 40 constituencies. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was ahead in just three seats, according to the Election Commission. 

Vijayan Behind In Early Rounds

The early trends indicated setbacks for the ruling LDF, which has been in power for two consecutive terms under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Vijayan was trailing in his stronghold Dharmadam in Kannur district during the initial rounds.

Several ministers, including 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, were also trailing in their respective constituencies. LDF convenor T. P. Ramakrishnan was behind in Perambra seat in Kozhikode district.

Anti-incumbency appeared to have played a key role against the LDF government, with voters in several constituencies expressing dissatisfaction amid opposition allegations of corruption and nepotism. Observers also pointed to consolidation of minority votes in favour of the UDF, along with the Congress campaign’s focus on welfare measures and outreach to women voters.

In a notable development, Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan initially trailed in North Paravoor constituency, where CPI(M) candidate E. T. Tyson took an early lead. However, Satheesan later recovered as counting progressed in areas favourable to the Congress-led alliance.

Reacting to the trends, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunny Joseph said, “This is a strong indication. We are confident of reaching the 100-seat mark.”

Tharoor Responds To CM Speculation

Amid speculation over the chief ministerial face, Shashi Tharoor avoided giving a direct answer. “I know exactly what you're trying to get me to say. I'm not saying any of that,” Tharoor said.

He said that the MPs will meet the party chief after the election results, following which the final decision on CM will be taken.

“We have a standard practice in the Congress Party. After the election results, the victorious MLAs will be met by an envoy or representative of the president of the party. That person will get the sense of what the MLAs want the high command will take that into account and make a final decision. Thereafter, they are not bound by any rules or limits. They can choose anything that they want,” he added.

Tharoor, however, expressed confidence about the alliance’s prospects, stating, “I was very confident we are going to win we are going to score a comfortable win of above 75 seats.”

High-Stakes Contest Nears Verdict

Counting of votes began at 8 AM across 140 centres in Kerala, starting with postal ballots. A clearer picture of the final outcome is expected by the afternoon.

The election is being closely watched as a high-stakes battle between the ruling LDF, seeking a rare third consecutive term, and the UDF, which is aiming to return to power after nearly a decade.

If the current trends hold, it could mark the end of the LDF’s decade-long rule and signal a shift in Kerala’s political cycle, which has historically alternated between the two fronts. The BJP-led NDA, though not in contention for power, is also looking to expand its vote share in the state.

READ NEXT
Cancel OK