UDF set to form government in Kerala; Who will be Congress CM face?

The UDF is set to form Kerala government 2026 as it leads in 97 seats. Who will be Congress CM face? Look at top contenders in the race. 
 

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is firmly on course to form the next government in Kerala as it has crossed the majority mark in the latest Election Commission of India (ECI) trends. The UDF is leading in 96 seats out of 140, well past the halfway mark of 71. 

The Congress is leading in 58 seats while its major ally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), is ahead in 23 seats. 

The ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) is trailing with leads in only 43 seats.This marks a significant defeat for the LDF, which was aiming for a rare third consecutive term under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. 

The results reflect strong anti-incumbency against the Left front after five years in power. 

State Congress president Sunny Joseph credited the UDF’s performance to “anti-people policies” of the LDF government. 

“Issues like Sabarimala, gold smuggling, and several anti-people decisions became major talking points. We are fully confident of a decisive victory,” he said.

Congress MP Jebi Mather expressed jubilance over the trends. “We have crossed 89 and are just 11 short of 100. This is beyond what exit polls had projected. The people of Kerala have given a decisive mandate to the UDF. It is a reflection of the complete failure of the CPI(M)-led LDF and the strong anti-incumbency wave,” she added.

In a notable development, the BJP-led NDA has made early inroads in the traditional Left bastion, leading in three seats as per ECI trends. Prominent BJP leaders including Rajeev Chandrasekhar, V. Muraleedharan, and K. Surendran played key roles in the campaign.

Also Read: Kerala Election Result 2026 Live Updates: Big boost for BJP in left bastion; UDF set to form govt

Who will be UDF CM face?

With the UDF set to form the government, all eyes are now on who will be the Congress CM face. The party high command is expected to take a final call after the results are declared in consultation with elected MLAs and allies. 

The top contenders for the Chief Minister’s post are:

• V.D. Satheesan – Current Leader of Opposition and the strongest public face of the UDF. Several surveys and exit polls showed him as the most preferred CM candidate.
• Ramesh Chennithala – Senior Congress leader with a strong organisational base and experience as former Leader of Opposition.
• K.C. Venugopal – AICC General Secretary who enjoys considerable influence with the high command.

Kerala elections 2026

The Kerala Legislative Assembly Election 2026 was held on April 9 in a single phase with 883 candidates contesting across 140 seats. 

The state recorded a voter turnout of 78.27% with nearly 2.71 crore registered electors. Counting began with postal ballots followed by EVM votes from 8:00 am. 

The LDF had won 99 seats in the 2021 elections. Exit polls had predicted a comfortable win for the UDF, projecting 72–90 seats. 

As trends continue to strengthen in favour of the UDF, Kerala is all set for a change of guard after five years of Left rule.