Thiruvananthapuram: The early hours of counting indicated a significant setback for the LDF in Keralam. More than half a dozen ministers among the total 19 in the cabinet were trailing. Even in traditional LDF bastions, the front appeared to be facing a major reversal. According to the current trends, the UDF was in the lead, while the NDA was ahead in six seats. One of the most notable developments was in the Muslim-majority Kozhikode South constituency, where BJP candidate T. Raneesh was leading, despite nearly 60% of the electorate being Muslim. From north to south Keralam, the BJP appeared to be registering a visible rise in its vote share and presence.
Vote counting had commenced across Keralam at 8 a.m., beginning with postal ballots, and early trends pointed to a tightly contested election. As the first rounds of postal vote counting unfolded, initial leads suggested a close race among the major fronts. According to early indications, the United Democratic Front (UDF) was leading in 89 seats, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF) was close behind with leads in 46 constituencies. Notably, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had emerged with a presence in the early trends, leading in six seats, an important development in Keralam’s traditionally bipolar political landscape. Postal ballots were counted first, having been brought from strong rooms to counting halls and arranged in bundles of 50 for tabulation. This phase was crucial, as it often set the tone for early leads. The counting process was taking place across 140 centres in 43 locations statewide. Each round of counting was expected to take approximately 30 minutes.
Votes cast by an estimated 2.71 crore voters across 30,495 polling booths, along with those submitted through postal ballots and other approved methods, were being counted. Round-wise updates were made available through the official Election Commission portal (results.eci.gov.in) and the ECINET mobile application. Authorities expected a clearer picture of the final outcome by around 11 a.m., while complete results were likely to be declared by 5 pm. Meanwhile, counting was also underway for assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Additionally, by-elections to eight vacant seats across six states were being counted simultaneously. Across these states and the Union Territory, a total of 824 constituencies were involved. However, counting in West Bengal’s Falta constituency had been deferred to the 24th following repolling scheduled on the 21st due to reported irregularities.
