Kerala election result 2026: What worked for Congress-led UDF in the state?

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) on Monday is headed for a decisive victory in Kerala, leading in a majority of the 140 seats, according to Election Commission trends. The surge signals a return to power after 10 years, bringing an end to the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) regime.

According to available trends, the Congress-led UDF was ahead in at least 96 seats, while the LDF was leading in around 42 constituencies. The BJP-led NDA was ahead in two seats.

What worked for Congress in Kerala?

Anti-people policies

UDF's performance in Kerala is a clear rejection of the CPI(M)-led LDF government's “anti-people policies,” said KPCC president Sunny Joseph.

"The counting of votes is still progressing. The present trend indicates that the people of the state are giving the UDF a historic victory," he added.

In fact, the recent local body polls results indicated that a similar outcome for the UDF in the assembly elections. "It is a clear verdict against the LDF government's anti-people policies," he added.

A new kind of politics

UDF crossed the halfway mark in early counting trends for the Kerala Assembly elections. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor welcomed the verdict, calling it a sign of voters seeking change after a decade.

Speaking to ANI, Tharoor said the party represents a shift in political direction and stressed the need for a "new kind of politics" following what he described as 10 years of poor governance.

"Look, we are a party of change. We want that after 10 years of such bad politics, it is very important to bring change and, in my view, to bring in a new kind of politics," said Tharoor.

UDF's message of change and development

Tharoor said voters had responded positively to the UDF's message of change and development. "People have clearly signalled their determination to have a change," he said.

"It's a historic day for us. It's a tremendous victory... even greater than we had expected. We are looking at an amazing result in Kerala, conceivably over 100 seats," Tharoor said. He noted that the outcome could mark a significant shift in India's political landscape, adding that the Left's decline in Kerala would signal the end of its last major stronghold. "In some ways, it is a closing of a big chapter in India's democratic political history," he remarked.

On what should be their primary focus, Tharoor said, "Our focus must be on good governance, on transformation, on changing the narrative which has been disappointing over the last 10 years," he said.

Job creation and economic growth

Pointing at concerns over unemployment and migration, he added that the new government must prioritise job creation and economic growth. "We want a Kerala where investors will come, businesses will grow, and our young people will have opportunities instead of leaving the state," he said.

Change in government every 5 years is normal in Kerala

Traditionally, Kerala has alternated between the LDF and UDF every five years. The LDF actually broke this 40-year-old "yo-yo" tradition by winning a historic second consecutive term in 2021.

Exit poll projections have predicted that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is poised to win the Keralam assembly polls 2026.