Thiruvananthapuram: Celebrations broke out at Congress offices in Thiruvananthapuram and New Delhi as early trends in the Kerala Assembly elections showed the United Democratic Front (UDF) heading towards a decisive victory.
As per trends around 11:30 am, the Congress-led UDF was leading in nearly 90 seats in the 140-member assembly, with the Indian National Congress alone ahead in 57 constituencies. Party workers gathered in large numbers, waving flags and celebrating to the beats of dhol outside the party headquarters. State party chief Sunny Joseph and party MP Shashi Tharoor attend celebrations.
In Thiruvananthapuram, jubilant workers lifted senior leader Ramesh Chennithala on their shoulders, while cake-cutting ceremonies were held at party offices as counting trends continued to favour the alliance.
Reacting to the early leads, Congress leader M. M. Hassan expressed strong optimism, saying, “The trend is very favourable for the UDF. Before 5 pm, we expect to cross 100 seats.” Another leader, A. P. Anilkumar, said the performance was in line with expectations. “We had predicted a huge majority. The support seen in Parliamentary and Panchayat elections is continuing,” he said, as quoted by IANS.
Congress MP Jebi Mather also expressed confidence in securing a clear mandate, stating that the people of Kerala have backed the UDF and delivered a strong message against the ruling front.
The UDF, a Congress-led alliance, is the principal challenger to the Left Democratic Front (LDF), which has been seeking another term in power. As counting progresses, the early trends suggest a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala, with party leaders and workers confident of converting the leads into a decisive electoral victory.
