Kerala polls: LDF eyes hat-trick, UDF comeback & NDA entry

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is all set for a crucial Assembly election on Thursday, with 2.71 crore voters poised to cast their franchise in a decisive contest that will test the ruling LDF’s bid for a third consecutive term, the Opposition UDF’s comeback prospects, and the NDA’s push to open its account in the state.

After nearly a month of intense campaigning, the southern state will go to the polls in a single phase, with voting to be held from 7 am to 6 pm across all 140 constituencies where 883 candidates are in the fray.

The electorate comprises 1.32 crore men, 1.39 crore women and 273 transgender persons, along with over 2.42 lakh overseas voters, underlining the scale of the electoral exercise, according to Election Commission figures.

The contest, though triangular, is rooted in Kerala’s traditionally bipolar political landscape, where power has largely alternated between the LDF and the UDF.

The outcome of this election will indicate whether that pattern holds or if the state is headed towards a shift.

For the CPI(M)-led ruling LDF, the polls are a high-stakes battle to retain power for a third straight term--an outcome that would be politically significant in a state known for voting out incumbent governments.

Led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Left Front has foregrounded its 10-year governance record, highlighting infrastructure development, welfare schemes and crisis management.

However, the LDF faces challenges, including talks of anti-incumbency and questions raised after setbacks in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and recent local body elections.

The Left front has sought to counter these by projecting continuity, stability and delivery, while rejecting Opposition charges of corruption and misgovernance.

Meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF sees the election as a major opportunity to return to power, banking on Kerala’s alternating voting trend and what it describes as growing public dissatisfaction with the incumbent government.

It has built its campaign around issues of governance, alleged corruption and the style of functioning of the Vijayan administration.

The UDF has also attempted to sharpen its political messaging by alleging an understanding between the CPI(M) and the BJP, while accusing the Left of links with outfits like the SDPI, the political arm of the banned Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI).