Kerala Assembly Polls

Kerala CM buzz intensifies; anti-high command posters surface in Wayanad

Kerala is likely to know the name of its next Chief Minister later on Wednesday, with indications that the Congress high command could make an announcement before noon. The delay in the decision has kept the camps of three top contenders--AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala on edge. As the Congress leadership continued discussions over the selection of Kerala's next Chief Minister, party leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday met former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) presidents in Delhi to gather their views and help end the prolonged uncertainty. Sources said the Kerala leaders called to Delhi by the party leadership during crucial discussions on Tuesday expressed their views on the Chief Ministerial choice, with the names of Venugopal, Satheesan and Chennithala figuring prominently in the consultations as the high command continued its deliberations. Former KPCC chief K Muraleedharan, after meeting Gandhi

Kerala CM suspense continues: Is there a deadline to form the govt?

Kerala's CM decision remains pending even after Congress-led UDF's decisive win, as contention among the three top leaders delays the decision, raising questions on government formation timelines

Venugopal factor looms as Congress huddles to pick Kerala's CM face

Days after the results of the Kerala Assembly election gave a decisive mandate to the Congress-led UDF, the party is yet to finalise its chief ministerial face, with its top brass in a huddle. The X-factor in the Kerala story is the powerful general secretary (organisation), K C Venugopal, the Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha who has thrown his hat in the ring even though he did not contest the assembly elections. Also in active contention are state Congress leaders V D Satheesan, who is the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the outgoing assembly, and former LoP Ramesh Chennithala, considered close to former party president Sonia Gandhi. The senior leaders gathered at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in the national capital, where they discussed the report of central observers, who are learnt to have indicated that a majority of MLAs support Venugopal. Sources said around 43 MLAs and all party MPs from the state have supported Venugopal as chief minister, given his stature in t

Decision on Kerala CM likely in 24 hours: Congress leader Muraleedharan

As lobbying intensifies among the three top contenders for the chief minister's post, senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan on Saturday said the party high command was likely to take a final decision on Kerala's next CM within 24 hours. The UDF's sweeping Assembly poll victory in Kerala has triggered a wave of lobbying and demonstrations by the supporters of senior leaders V D Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and K C Venugopal, urging the Congress leadership to select the respective leaders as the new CM. "The information from Delhi is that discussions on the chief ministerial candidate will be completed within 24 hours," Muraleedharan told reporters. Acknowledging public fervour, he emphasised that flex boards and marches alone would not determine the leadership. He added that the views of MLAs and coalition partners would also be considered by the Congress leadership. "I will not publicly reveal what I told the high command representatives. I have conveyed the sentiments of the pe

BJP emerges runner-up in six Kerala constituencies, boosts vote share

The BJP, which gained three seats in the Kerala assembly polls and ended its political drought in the state, came in the second place in six other constituencies. The BJP got second place in Thiruvalla, Palakkad, Malampuzha, Attingal, Kasaragod and Manjeshwar seats after counting of votes on May 4. In Thiruvalla, BJP's state general secretary Anoop Antony came second with 43,078 votes and lost by a margin of 10,146 to advocate Varghese Mammen of the Kerala Congress (KEC). He also increased the party's vote share in the constituency as compared to the 2021 Assembly polls. In 2021, the BJP came third with 16.25 per cent of the votes, while this time it got 30.61 per cent of the votes. In Palakkad, the party's senior firebrand leader Sobha Surendran, following a neck-and-neck contest in the initial rounds of counting, lost to UDF's Ramesh Pisharody by 13,147 votes. She got 49,052 votes, while Pisharody got 62,199 votes. However, she improved the BJP's vote share compared to the 202

UDF wins Kerala polls: Who are the Congress frontrunners for CM post?

The Congress-led UDF has returned to power in Kerala after 2016. The focus now shifts to who will be the party's CM choice

Kerala Assembly poll result rejection of polarisation, LDF rule: Venugopal

Congress general secretary and one of the contenders for the CM post, K C Venugopal, on Tuesday said that the Assembly poll results in Kerala were a repudiation of the communal polarisation attempts by some forces and a rejection of the decade-long "political arrogance and alleged misgovernance" by the LDF. Venugopal also termed the BJP's victories in West Bengal and Assam as not a genuine verdict, alleging that they were achieved through unfair practices that would prevent any opposition party from winning there. He claimed that the BJP wanted to do it in the entire country, and that is why it brought the Delimitation Bill, which was unitedly rejected by the opposition. Regarding the poll outcome in Kerala, Venugopal said that it was a big message to those attempting communal polarisation in the state that such efforts will not bear fruit. He said that the mature electorate of Kerala were adept at identifying suitable candidates and prioritised the state's welfare and party ...

Kerala Assembly election results 2026: How top candidates performed

The Congress-led UDF was leading in more than 90 seats at 2 pm, while several prominent candidates, including Pinarayi Vijayan, VD Satheeshan and KK Shailaja, saw mixed trends

Best of BS Opinion: From winning to governing, the challenge starts now

From election upsets and disaster alerts to labour reform, media economics, and trauma narratives, today's Best of BS Opinion brings together sharp insights on policy, politics, and society

Kerala restores the power pendulum: Anti-incumbency drives UDF win

Congress-led UDF sweeps Kerala Assembly polls, ending LDF rule in a landslide verdict, while BJP opens its account with three seats, signalling a gradual expansion

Kerala election results 2026: Left demolished as Congress-led UDF wins big

The UDF will make a comeback in the state after 2016; however, the coalition's chief ministerial candidate has not been announced yet.

Assembly election results 2026: When and where to check results LIVE

Counting of votes for the 2026 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry will begin at 8 am on May 4, Monday, with final results likely by evening

Kerala poll turnout rises to 79.7% after service voters' ballots added: CEO

Kerala's voter turnout in the April 9 Assembly elections has tentatively risen to 79.70 per cent after the inclusion of service voters' postal ballots, CEO Rathan U Kelkar said on Sunday. Addressing a press conference here, Kelkar also outlined elaborate arrangements for the counting of votes scheduled for Monday. He said the polling percentage for the Assembly election was 79.63 per cent, excluding postal ballots of service voters. The chief electoral officer said 53,984 postal ballots had been issued to service voters, of which 20,028 had been received as of May 1. "Service voters can submit postal ballots till before counting begins. We have directed the postal department that postal ballots received from service voters, including on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, should be handed over to the returning officers without delay," he said. He said the receipt of service voters' postal ballots had increased the polling percentage by 0.07 percentage points. "The present voting ..

Strong rooms, unsealed rooms shouldn't be opened under any circumstance: EC

The Election Commission on Tuesday issued clear directions to all District Election Officers and Returning Officers in Kerala not to open any strong rooms under any circumstances before the day the votes are counted. The direction was issued by Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar following reports of a strong room storing EVMs in Perambra constituency in Kozhikode being opened on Monday, and reported plans to open another one in Nenmara constituency in Palakkad. "It has been reiterated that under no circumstances shall any strong rooms or unsealed rooms be opened or accessed for the purpose of preparing Index Cards or verifying data in the ENCORE portal. "All concerned officers have been directed to ensure strict compliance with these instructions to safeguard the integrity, transparency, and security of the electoral process," a statement issued by Kelkar's office said. On Monday, the Kozhikode district administration had clarified that no strong room was opened. Colle

Why welfare remains central in Kerala's politics despite rising public debt

Rising debt and shrinking fiscal space have not weakened welfare politics in Kerala. Despite warnings from CAG and RBI, parties continue to rely on welfarism during elections

Kerala polls: Five key seats, five candidates to watch out on May 4

With voting complete across Kerala's 140 constituencies, the fate of over 883 candidates has been sealed. All eyes now turn to May 4. Here are five key seats and candidates to watch

Kerala records over 78% voter turnout in high-stakes Assembly polls

Over 78 per cent of Kerala's voters on Thursday queued up across polling stations in 140 Assembly segments to elect the next government, with the state closing in towards its second best voter turnout in the process. The strong turnout will decide whether the ruling LDF secures a straight third term, the UDF makes a comeback, or the BJP springs a surprise in an otherwise bipolar contest. The polling process was largely peaceful, with only minor technical issues reported at a few locations. According to the figures released after 8 pm, 78.12 per cent of the 2.71 crore voters had cast their votes, and this is higher than the 74.06 per cent polling recorded in the 2021 Assembly elections. In the 1987 polls, the state registered 80.54 per cent polling. The highest-ever recorded turnout in the state during Assembly elections is 85.72 per cent in 1960, according to PIB data. Officials said the final turnout is expected to rise further as late voters in queues are counted. If the trend

Assembly elections: Assam sees 85% turnout, Kerala records over 78%

Record turnout in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry signals high-stakes contests as ruling alliances seek third terms amid tight races and strong voter participation

Assembly polls: Assam records 59% voter turnout by 1 pm, 49% in Keralam

The polling trends in the Union Territory of Puducherry showed a sizeable voter turnout of 56.83 per cent

State Assembly elections test Modi's handling of war-driven shortages

While Modi's BJP seeks to expand its foothold in states dominated by regional parties, the elections come as India faces an uncertain growth outlook after a surge in oil prices following West Asia war