The United Democratic Front (UDF) secured a clear victory in the Kerala Assembly elections held on May 4, obtaining a comfortable majority by winning more than 71 seats in the 140-member House.
This result marks a significant defeat for the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and signals a major comeback for the Congress-led coalition.
The Indian National Congress (INC), a key party within the UDF, won 63 seats out of 140, constituting a large portion of the coalition’s triumph. While anti-incumbency sentiment against the LDF government, which had been in power for 10 years, was widely anticipated, the scale of the UDF’s lead attracted notable attention.
In the previous 2016 Kerala Assembly elections, the LDF, headed by Pinarayi Vijayan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), won 91 seats, including 58 by the CPI(M) and 19 by the Communist Party of India. The UDF managed 47 seats, with the Congress securing 22 seats and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) 18. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won one seat.
In 2021, the LDF increased its dominance by winning 99 seats, the first historic consecutive re-election of Pinarayi Vijayan. The CPI(M) won 62 seats, and the CPI obtained 17. The UDF’s tally fell to 41 seats, with the Congress winning 21 and the IUML 15. The BJP, despite widespread contests, did not win any seats.
The UDF victory in 2026 also indicates a generational change in Kerala politics, as the alliance moves forward without leaders such as K Karunakaran and Oommen Chandy. Leadership within the coalition now centres on figures like V D Satheesan, who has been a prominent critic of the LDF government.
Counting of votes began at 8 am on May 4 across 823 constituencies in key states and territories including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry. The process started with postal ballots, followed by Electronic Voting Machine counting from 8:30 am. Results were updated in real time on the ECINET platform and the Election Commission’s official portal.