Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam), April 29: Exit polls suggest that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is on track to secure a victory in the Keralam assembly elections. According to projections released on Wednesday, Axis My India forecasts a comfortable majority for the UDF, predicting it will win between 78 to 90 seats in the 140-member assembly. In contrast, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to secure 49 to 62 seats, while the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is projected to win between zero and three seats.
People’s Pulse offers a slightly different outlook, estimating that the LDF could win 55 to 60 seats, the UDF 75 to 85 seats, and the NDA a negligible 0-3 seats. Meanwhile, JVC's projections place the UDF's expected seat count at 72 to 84, with the LDF securing 52 to 60 seats, and the NDA gaining 3 to 8 seats.
The elections in Keralam took place in a single phase on April 9, with a voter turnout of 78.27%. The LDF, which had triumphed in the 2021 polls, broke the tradition of the state alternating governments every five years. In that election, the LDF secured 99 out of 140 seats, with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) - CPI(M) winning 62 seats. Pinarayi Vijayan was re-elected as Chief Minister for another term.
If the exit polls hold true, the UDF’s projected victory will come as a relief after its disappointing performance in the 2021 elections. The final results of the Keralam assembly elections will be declared on May 4, alongside the results from Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, and Puducherry.
The exit poll projections follow the conclusion of the second phase of polling in West Bengal, while Assam, Keralam, and Puducherry had their elections on April 9, and Tamil Nadu voted on April 23. West Bengal's elections are being held in two phases, on April 23 and April 29.
