2 min readMay 4, 2026 09:58 AM IST First published on: May 4, 2026 at 09:58 AM ISTOne and a half hours into counting of votes for the Kerala assembly elections, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) appears to have gained an upper hand. Early trends from 139 out of 140 seats indicate the UDF is leading in 89 and the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in 44, while the BJP-led NDA has the lead in five seats.Apart from retaining the lead in its traditional strongholds of Ernakulam and Malappuram, UDF candidates are leading in several seats currently held by the LDF in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kozhikode and Palakkad, early trends indicate.AdvertisementIn 2021, most seats in the Christian belt had gone to the LDF. A similar trend is seen in the Idukki district, where the UDF appears to have gained an upper hand.The state assembly has 140 members. The LDF has been ruling the state for the last two terms under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, which in the 2021 elections broke the state’s tradition of alternating change of guard between the LDF and the UDF every five years.The Congress reckons that factors like “anti-incumbency” and “voters’ fatigue” towards the LDF regime would clear the decks for the party’s return to the helm of the state government. After remaining in the Opposition since 2016, the party cannot afford another defeat in the state. The party leadership is aiming for a clear majority on its own to establish its dominance in the UDF and counter the perception about its junior ally IUML’s “decisive influence” over the coalition.