Kerala Assembly Election Results 2026: Kerala Counts Today With No Exit Poll Comfort For Ruling LDF

Kerala counts today and a change in government is likely to happen, according to most exit polls. But, health warning: exit polls often get it wrong. The verdict on 140 constituencies and 883 candidates begins at 8 am, with counting across 43 locations.

A rough sketch of the likely winner should start taking shape by afternoon. Of the state's 2.71 crore voters, 79.63 per cent had turned out on April 9.

Exit polls gave the Congress-led UDF a narrow but consistent edge with some predicting it winning 80-90 seats, up from 41 it won in 2021. The UDF has been out of power since 2016, and within the alliance discussions over a chief ministerial candidate have already started, in a sign of how confident some in the UDF are feeling.

The ruling LDF faces the counting day without the comfort of clear exit poll forecasts in its favour. Retaining its 2021 tally of 99 seats looks unlikely as the front is internally pegging its expectation at 75-80.

The Pinarayi Vijayan government has campaigned hard on bringing development in Kerala, but would it be enough to propel the LDF to victory would be known in a matter of hours.

An LDF loss would be seen as a historic outcome to the Left's misfortune as it would be for the first time since the 1960s that the Left is left with no state government anywhere in the country.

The BJP-led NDA's benchmark in Kerala is vote share for now. The alliance didn't win a single seat in 2021 even with a 12.51 per cent vote share. It climbed to 19.23 per cent in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, then slipped to 14.76 per cent in last year's local body elections.

However, after the NDA won the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation polls, it is hoping for that small foothold to expand into the capital district and pockets of central Kerala.