
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is likely to return to power in Kerala, with almost all exit polls giving an edge to the UDF in the 2026 assembly polls. Axis My India predicted 78-90 seats for the UDF and 49-62 seats for the Left Democratic Front (LDF). Meanwhile, MATRIZE said the UDF may win 70-75 seats, beating the LDF in a closely fought election.
Warning: Exit polls are not the final results. The exit poll results may vary from the Election Commission's official results, which will be released on 4 May 2026.
The Kerala Assembly has 140 seats. A political party or coalition needs to win 71 seats, comfortably crossing the majority mark, to form a government in the state.
All the exit polls released on Wednesday, 29 April, showed a massive win for the Congress-led UDF in Kerala. From Axis My India to MATRIZE to P-Marq, many of them predicted more than 70-71 seats for the Congress's UDF in a major turnaround. Today's Chanakya will release Kerala exit polls on April 30.
UDF: CONG, IUML, KEC, RSP, KC (J), CMP, RMPI, IND (Support by UDF)
LDF: CPIM, CPI, KEC (M), NCP(SP), RJD, ISJD, INL, KEC (B), RSPL, CONG (S), IND (Support by LDF)
NDA: BJP, BDJS, TTP, IND (Support by NDA)
Others: BSP, AAP, SDPI, SUCI (C), Small Parties & Independents
The Poll of Polls predicted 77 seats — six more than the majority mark needed to form the Kerala government — for the UDF, and 64 seats for the ruling LDF.
| Exit Poll | LDF | UDF | NDA | OTH |
| Axis My India | 49-62 | 78-90 | 0-3 | 0 |
| MATRIZE | 60-65 | 70-75 | 3-5 | 2-4 |
| P-Marq | 62-89 | 71-79 | 1-4 | 0-3 |
| Peoples Pulse | 55-65 | 75-85 | 0-3 | - |
| Vote Vibe | 58-68 | 70-80 | - | 0-4 |
| Peoples Insight | 58-68 | 66-76 | 10-14 | 0-1 |
| Poll of Polls | 64 | 77 | 5 | - |
Pinarayi Vijayan has been in power in Kerala since 25 May 2016. He served as the 12th Chief Minister of Kerala. He also served as the secretary of the Kerala state committee of the CPI(M) from 1998 to 2015.
If exit polls come true, Vijayan's LDF will likely be ousted by the Congress-led UDF. The Congress last held power in the state under the leadership of then CM Oommen Chandy from 2011 to 2016.
Pradeep Gupta's agency predicted a clear victory for the UDF, giving the Congress' coalition 78-90 seats of 140 seats in the Kerala Assembly. It predicted 49-62 seats for the LDF and 0-3 seats for the BJP-led NDA.
Axis My India predicted 44 per cent vote share for the UDF, 39 per cent for the LDF and 14 per cent for the NDA.
> Region-wise seat share:
Kochi (29): 22-26 seats for UDF; 3-7 seats for LDF
Malabar (63 seats): 36-38 seats for UDF; 25-27 seats for LDF
Travancore (48): 25-29 seats for UDF; 18-22 seats for LDF
> Who is the top CM choice for Kerala? Although the LDF is likely to lose power in the state, as per the exit polls, Pinarayi Vijayan remains the top choice for the Chief Minister's post, followed by VD Satheesan with 21 per cent voting in his favour.
Akriti Anand is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint. She is a digital journalist with more than six years in the news industry.<br><br> In her current role, she covers both national and international politics, and also keeps a close watch on the latest trends in science and space exploration. <br><br> Akriti joined the LiveMint team in October 2023. Before this, she built a strong career at other major media houses. She worked as a senior sub-editor at India Today. Later, she moved to CNBCTV-18. There, she covered high-pressure topics like breaking news and major elections. She spent much of her time analysing Parliament bills and complex political debates. She is also a skilled editor who knows how to polish a story for a digital audience. <br><br> One of her career highlights happened at CNBCTV-18. She made her first television debut during the Chandrayaan-3 mission. She also provided special on-air coverage for the Karnataka Elections. <br><br> When she is not busy with breaking news, Akriti loves to write explainers and interview experts on a wide range of issues. She also enjoys making complex space missions easy for everyone to understand. <br><br> Her education helps her tackle these diverse subjects. She holds a BA in English Literature, a Postgraduate Diploma in Mass Communication, and a Master’s degree in Development Studies. She is currently expanding her knowledge in climate journalism.<br><br> Connect with Akriti here<br> LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/akriti-anand-868285199">https://www.linkedin.com/in/akriti-anand-868285199</a><br> Twitter/X: <a href="https://x.com/AkritiAnand7">https://x.com/AkritiAnand7</a><br> Email: akriti.anand@htdigital.in
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