Early trends show UDF surge in Kerala, BJP consolidates dominance in Assam, while Tamil Nadu witnesses a dramatic three-way contest with TVK emerging as a strong disruptor…reports Asian Lite News
UDF Signals Return After a Decade
Early counting trends in Kerala on Monday pointed to a major political shift, with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) moving ahead of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), raising strong indications of a possible return to power after a 10-year gap.
According to Election Commission of India (ECI) trends, the UDF crossed the halfway mark in the 140-member Assembly, leading in 91 constituencies. The Congress was ahead in 58 seats, while its key ally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), led in 22 constituencies.
The development triggered celebrations at the Congress state headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, where senior leaders including KC Venugopal, Ramesh Chennithala, Sunny Joseph, and Shashi Tharoor gathered. Party workers cut a cake and raised slogans, signalling confidence of a decisive mandate.
The LDF, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, trailed with leads in around 40 seats in early rounds. However, CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby struck a cautious tone, calling the trends “inconclusive” and asserting that the Left government’s performance in healthcare, education, and poverty eradication would ultimately influence voters in later rounds.
Tharoor, reacting to the trends, described them as a reflection of a desire for change after what he termed a decade of political stagnation, while urging patience until final results were declared.
Counting in Kerala began with postal ballots followed by EVM counting from 8:30 am, with updates being reflected in real time on Election Commission platforms. Officials stressed that later rounds could still alter the picture in closely contested constituencies.
Assam: BJP Consolidates Power, Congress Faces Setback
In Assam, early trends strongly favoured the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which was leading in 97 of the 126 Assembly seats, comfortably crossing the majority threshold.
The Congress-led opposition, however, was trailing significantly, leading in only around 25–26 constituencies, marking a major challenge for the party in the state.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, contesting from Jalukbari, maintained a strong lead and was on course for a possible third consecutive term. Other senior BJP candidates also registered decisive leads in key constituencies, strengthening the party’s position across both urban and rural regions.
One of the most closely watched contests was in Jorhat, where Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi was trailing BJP candidate Hitendra Nath Goswami after six rounds of counting. Goswami held a margin of over 9,000 votes, signalling a significant setback for the Congress in a politically sensitive seat.
ECI data also showed BJP leads extending across multiple alliance partners, including AGP and BPF, while regional parties like AIUDF and UPPL registered limited influence in select constituencies.
Assam recorded a high voter turnout of nearly 86 per cent, with 722 candidates contesting across 126 seats, including a notable number of women candidates. Despite the strong turnout, early trends suggested consolidation in favour of the ruling alliance.
Counting continued under tight security, with officials cautioning that final results would depend on the completion of all rounds, including postal ballots.
Tamil Nadu: TVK Emerges as Major Disruptor
Tamil Nadu witnessed one of its most dramatic electoral developments in recent years, with actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerging as a major force in its electoral debut.
Early trends showed a tightly contested three-way battle between the ruling DMK, the AIADMK-led alliance, and TVK. Depending on counting rounds, TVK was reported to be leading in between 73 and nearly 100 seats, signalling a strong entry into the state’s political arena.
The DMK, led by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, appeared to be under pressure in several urban constituencies, while the AIADMK alliance also maintained competitive leads, keeping the overall picture fluid.
TVK’s surge was especially notable in urban and semi-urban constituencies including Chennai’s Egmore, Anna Nagar, Villivakkam, Thousand Lights, and Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar. Party candidate M L Vijayprabhu was reported to be leading in Madavaram by a significant margin in early rounds.
In Perambur and Tiruchy East, TVK chief Vijay himself was maintaining comfortable leads, reinforcing the party’s strong debut performance.
At DMK headquarters in Chennai, early signs of concern were visible as party workers scaled down celebrations and began reviewing early results. However, leaders maintained that multiple rounds of counting remained and outcomes could still shift.
Officials confirmed that Tamil Nadu’s counting process covered 234 Assembly constituencies, with postal ballots counted first followed by EVM rounds from 8:30 am. Results were being updated continuously across ECINET and official portals.
National Picture: Fluid Mandates Across States
Across India, counting was underway in 823 constituencies spanning Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Puducherry. The Election Commission stated that counting protocols were being strictly followed, with heavy security deployment at all centres.
The early trends painted a politically diverse picture: a possible UDF resurgence in Kerala, NDA consolidation in Assam, and a fragmented but high-intensity three-way contest in Tamil Nadu.
Political analysts noted that while early leads provided indicators of voter sentiment, the final outcome would depend on later counting rounds and postal ballots. The trends, however, already pointed to shifting political dynamics across key states, with regional parties and new entrants significantly influencing traditional strongholds.
As counting progresses, all major parties remain on alert, with final results expected to redefine political equations in multiple states.
