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With Kerala polling starting today in the 140 assembly seats, the question is whether the Left Democratic Front (LDF) headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will get a historic third term or the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) will succeed in its quest to be back in power after a decade.

The LDF, who won 99 seats in 2021, is counting on its welfare schemes, development, and Pinarayi Vijayan as its leaders in overcoming anti-incumbency. On the contrary, the UDF is vigorously fighting governance fatigue and mounting debt issues and offering change, and its campaign is showing a robust unity this time around.

NA, especially the BJP-led NDA, is also aggressively fighting with the aim of increasing its presence beyond the present small presence, but the main battle is between the LDF and the UDF. There are more than 270 lakhs eligible voters who can vote between 7 AM and 6 PM.

On May 4, 2026, vote counting and results in Kerala, as well as Assam and Puducherry, will be announced. The initial hints of this highly anticipated contest will be the early trends and turnout.