Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Nemom, Kazhakootam, Pala, Changanassery Election Results Highlights: BJP leader V. Muraleedharan wins in Kazhakootam

Congress candidate Adv. Bindhu Krishna has won the Kollam Assembly seat in Kerala, securing 63,416 votes and defeating CPI(M)’s S. Jayamohan, who got 46,586 votes. She won by a margin of 16,830 votes.

The seat was earlier held by CPI(M)’s M. Mukesh, who has not finished among the top three candidates this time, marking the end of his term as MLA.

After a long and closely fought contest, BJP leader V. Muraleedharan has finally been declared the winner from the Kazhakkoottam Assembly seat.

He defeated CPM’s Kadakampally Surendran by a narrow margin of 428 votes, in a result that went down to the wire after several rounds of counting.

In a confident post on Facebook, V. D. Satheesan struck a triumphant tone, recalling how voters had been searching for an alternative and asserting that the UDF had answered that call, writing that “we said back then that we are here” and declaring that “Kerala has won”, while affirming that the United Democratic Front will now take charge and lead the state forward.

The BJP registered key wins in Kerala, with state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar securing Nemom by 4,165 votes against LDF minister V. Sivankutty. In Chathannoor, B.B. Gopakumar defeated CPI’s R. Rajendran by 3,686 votes, marking the party’s entry in the constituency. Meanwhile, V. Muraleedharan clinched Kazhakootam after a closely fought contest against sitting MLA Kadakampally Surendran, winning by just over 300 votes — the narrowest margin among the three victories.

In the Chathannoor Assembly constituency, B. B. Gopakumar of the Bharatiya Janata Party has taken an early lead as vote counting continues. The BJP candidate is ahead of his closest rival, indicating a competitive contest in the constituency.

The UDF notched up major victories across the state, with Chandy Oommen winning Puthuppally by a huge margin of 52,907 votes and Rajan J Pallan securing Thrissur with a lead of 26,803 votes. Senior leader Ramesh Chennithala also won from Haripad by 23,377 votes. The LDF registered a win in Alathur, where T. M. Sasi triumphed by 8,553 votes. Meanwhile, Ramesh Pisharody surged ahead in Palakkad, building a lead of 10,817 votes after early swings.

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala secured one of the biggest victories of his career, defeating CPI’s T. T. Jismon by a huge margin of 23,377 votes. Chennithala polled 68,184 votes against Jismon’s 44,807, while BJP’s Sandeep Vachaspathi finished a distant third with 31,022 votes. He nearly doubled his 2021 victory margin and emerged as the only UDF candidate to win in Alappuzha district, where all other UDF contenders lost.

The UDF tightened its grip on Kozhikode, leading in 12 of 13 constituencies as counting neared completion, leaving the LDF ahead only in Beypore. Key LDF figures, including T. P. Ramakrishnan, A. K. Saseendran and Ahammad Devarkovil, were trailing along with sitting MLAs K. M. Sachindev, Linto Joseph, Thottathil Raveendran, P. T. A. Raheem and K. P. Kunhammad Kutty.

The UDF tightened its grip across constituencies, with Sandeep Varier ahead in Trikaripur by 2,270 votes and Fathima Thahilia leading by 5,861 votes in Perambra against T. P. Ramakrishnan. The BJP made gains with Rajeev Chandrasekhar leading in Nemom, while V. Muraleedharan held a razor-thin edge in Kazhakoottam. KPCC chief Sunny Joseph termed the trend a clear verdict against the LDF.

LDF holds key leads: Geetha Gopi in Nattika, K. U. Jenish Kumar in Konni, Saji Cherian in Chengannur, K. Ansalan in Neyyattinkara, V. Joy in Varkala, and Kadakampally Surendran in Kazhakoottam.

The Congress-led UDF has surged ahead as counting gathers pace in the Kerala Assembly elections, with early trends aligning with exit poll predictions. The UDF is leading in 100 of the 140 seats, while the CPI(M)-led LDF is ahead in just 40 constituencies. The BJP-led NDA, meanwhile, is leading in only one seat, indicating a clear early advantage for the Opposition alliance.

The UDF has taken the lead in Idukki and Ettumanoor, wresting control from Kerala Congress factions and boosting its overall tally. In Ranni, LDF MLA Pramod Narayanan is trailing, as early signs of celebration emerge within the UDF camp.

UDF’s Ramesh Pisharody is leading in Palakkad, while Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan continues to trail in Dharmadam even after the fourth round by 2,812 votes. In Kannur, Kadannappalli Ramachandran is behind by 2,426 votes. Meanwhile, in Thalassery, Karayi Rajan has surged ahead with a lead of 11,122 votes. T. K. Govindan is leading in Taliparamba, while Saji Cherian is ahead in Chengannur by 1,269 votes after two rounds.

LDF’s P. Prasad has regained the lead in Cherthala by 636 votes after two rounds of counting. In Elathur, A. K. Saseendran continues to trail even after the second round. Meanwhile, LDF’s O. R. Kelu is leading in Mananthavady following counting in stronghold areas.

On the other hand, Veena George is trailing in Aranmula, and K. B. Ganesh Kumar is behind in Pathanapuram. The UDF has surged ahead in Thodupuzha, crossing a lead of 7,000 votes, highlighting strong momentum in several constituencies.

Chandy Oommen has surged ahead, crossing a margin of 10,000 votes. In Thrikkarippur, Sandeep Warrier is leading by 1,821 votes. Meanwhile, in Paravur, V. D. Satheesan has regained the lead, with the UDF now ahead by 932 votes.

The UDF is ahead in several constituencies across the Ernakulam region, leading in Thrippunithura (1,763 votes), Perumbavoor (2,355), Kochi (832), Kunnathunad (2,566), Muvattupuzha (1,666), Thrikkakara (2,384) and Ernakulam (2,720). In contrast, V. D. Satheesan is trailing by 243 votes in Paravur. LDF’s P. Rajeev is also behind in Kalamassery by 760 votes, while the LDF holds a lead in Vypin by 1,243 votes, reflecting a mixed picture in a few pockets.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan continues to trail in Dharmadam even after the second round of counting. In North Paravur, V. D. Satheesan is behind by 243 votes. The UDF has strengthened its lead in Mananthavady, while in Thrithala, V. T. Balram is ahead by 371 votes after the first round. In Koduvally, P. K. Firoz has widened his lead to 4,875 votes, signalling growing momentum for the alliance across constituencies.

BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar is leading in Nemom by 1,302 votes, gaining an early advantage as counting progresses in the constituency.

As the first hour of counting concludes, the UDF has taken a strong lead across Kerala, pushing ahead in 90 seats and moving closer to a simple majority. The LDF is leading in 45 seats, while the NDA trails with five. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is currently trailing in Dharmadam, where UDF candidate V. P. Abdul Rasheed has opened up a lead of 733 votes. Adding to the LDF’s concerns, nine of its ministers are also behind in early trends.

BJP candidate Shobha Surendran has taken an early lead during postal vote counting and continues to maintain her advantage as counting moves to electronic voting machines, signalling steady momentum for the party.

Mani C. Kappan has taken an early lead in Pala as counting progresses, indicating a strong start in this closely watched constituency.

BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has taken the lead in Nemom as ballot vote counting progresses, marking an early boost for the party in this key constituency.

UDF’s IC Balakrishnan leading in Sulthan Bathery.

LDF’s M. B. Rajesh is trailing in Thrithala, while Jose K. Mani is behind in Pala. Meanwhile, the UDF is ahead in several constituencies, with Abin Varkey leading in Aranmula, Sunny Joseph in Peravoor, V. D. Satheesan in Paravur, and Chandy Oommen in Puthuppally.

BJP leader K. Surendran is leading in Manjeshwar, while in Vattiyoorkkavu, LDF’s V. K. Prasanth has taken an early lead during the counting of postal ballots, indicating initial momentum for both parties in their respective constituencies.

During the counting of postal ballots, LDF candidate V. K. Prasanth has taken an early lead in Vattiyoorkkavu, giving the Left an initial edge as vote counting gets underway.

LDF candidate V. Sivankutty has taken an early lead in Nemom, while Rajeev Chandrasekhar of the BJP trails in third place, indicating a challenging contest for the party in this key constituency.

Counting begins in Nemom, setting stage for BJP’s make-or-break test: Rajeev Chandrasekhar vs V. Sivankutty