Kerala has delivered a decisive political verdict, ousting the Left Democratic Front (LDF) from power and returning the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) to office after a decade, while also marking a modest breakthrough for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won three Assembly seats.
The UDF secured a sweeping victory in the 140-member Assembly, winning 102 seats, while the LDF was reduced to 35 seats, according to Election Commission data. The result ends the Left’s decade-long rule under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and represents the first time in nearly five decades that the Left is not in power in any Indian state.
Congress emerged as the dominant force within the alliance, with a vote share of 28.79 per cent, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) secured 21.77 per cent. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key UDF ally, recorded an 11.01 per cent vote share.
The election outcome was shaped by strong anti-incumbency sentiment and widespread consolidation of votes in favour of the UDF across multiple social groups. The verdict also led to the defeat of 13 ministers from the outgoing LDF government.
Among senior leaders, only a handful of ministers managed to retain their seats, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, P A Mohamed Riyas, K Rajan, G R Anil, K N Balagopal, P Prasad and Saji Cherian. Several prominent ministers, including Veena George, M B Rajesh and P Rajeev, were among those defeated.
Within the UDF, both Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan secured comfortable victories, strengthening their positions in post-poll leadership discussions.
The BJP, long marginal in Kerala politics, managed a notable breakthrough by winning three seats—Nemom and Kazhakoottam in Thiruvananthapuram district, and Chathannoor in Kollam district. State party chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar won Nemom, former Union Minister V Muraleedharan secured Kazhakoottam, and B B Gopakumar won Chathannoor.
Following the results, Congress leaders welcomed the mandate, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra thanking voters for their support and pledging that the party would work towards fulfilling its commitments. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal described the outcome as a rejection of the LDF government, alleging widespread public dissatisfaction.
The CPI(M) acknowledged the setback, with state secretary M V Govindan stating that the party would conduct a detailed review of the defeat and implement corrective measures.
The 16th Kerala Legislative Assembly will now include 11 women MLAs, one fewer than in the outgoing House.
(With inputs from PTI)