Kerala Results 2026: Pinarayi Vijayan trails in Dharmadam in massive blow to LDF

Kerala Assembly Elections Results 2026 | In a major setback, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is trailing in Dharmadam, his traditional stronghold in Kannur district. Vijayan, who ruled the state for two terms, is up against UDF's VP Abdul Rasheed. Vijayan won the seat in the 2021 Assembly election by a margin of more than 50,000 votes against Congress pick C Raghunathan.  

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Overall, in Kerala, the Congress-led UDF has taken a huge lead against the LDF. Currently, the UDF is ahead in 80-plus seats, while the ruling LDF is around 40. The BJP-led NDA is ahead in 5 seats.

Not just Vijayan, at least seven state ministers are trailing in their respective seats. Veena George, M B Rajesh, O R Kelu, R Bindhu, J Chinchurani, P Rajeev, K B Ganesh Kumar, and Roshy Augustine were trailing in their respective constituencies in the first hour of counting.

LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan is also trailing in his sitting seat of Perambra in Kozhikode district.

Anti-incumbency appears to have played a significant role against the CPI(M)-led government, which has been in power for two successive terms under Vijayan. The UDF also appears to have benefited from a consolidation of minority votes in many regions, which traditionally act as a decisive bloc in Kerala's electoral politics.

If the current leads hold, it could mark the end of a decade-long rule by Vijayan and the LDF government in the state. Such an outcome would be politically significant, not only because the Left was attempting to secure a rare third consecutive term, but also because it would signal a shift in Kerala's electoral pattern, which has historically seen power alternate between the LDF and the UDF.

Congress veteran V D Satheesan is also trailing in the North Paravoor constituency, where CPI(M) candidate E T Tyson has taken an early lead. However, Satheesan recovered as counting progressed in areas favourable to the national party.