Left takes lead over UDF in Kerala, BJP ahead in 2 seats

Thiruvananthapuram, May 2, 2021

Counting of votes in the Assembly elections in Kerala, that began at 8 a.m. on Sunday, is showing that the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), after leading in the postal ballot, continued to maintain its lead when the EVMs were opened, while the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) was way behind. The BJP was leading in two constituencies.

In the 140-member Kerala Assembly, according to the latest reports the Left leads in 80 constituencies while the Congress-led UDF is ahead in 58 and the BJP in two seats.

All the exit polls had predicted a clean victory for the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left with a minimum of 75 seats and a maximum of 120 seats.

The pattern in what has been seen so far is there are quite a number of seats where the balance is shifting between the Left and the Congress-led UDF candidates.

The BJP which presently has one seat at Nemom in Thiruvananthapuram, was leading there as was its candidate E Sreedharan, former Delhi Metro chief, in Palakkad.

By now, on an average two to three rounds of counting have been completed and there are about 13 to 15 rounds in each constituency. In where the fight is close, one will have to wait till the last rounds to be counted to know which way the result will go.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala were leading in their constituencies but two Ministers J. Mercykutty and T. P. Ramakrishnan are trailing.

At Badagara, K. K. Rema, the wife of slain former CPI-M leader T. P. Chandrashekeran, who has been supported by the UDF, is leading by over 3,000 votes.

IANS