UDF sweeps Kerala polls, wins 5 of 14 districts in historic mandate
Synopsis
The UDF has swept Kerala in one of the most emphatic mandates in the state's recent history — winning all 14 seats in Ernakulam, all 16 in Malappuram, and blanking the LDF in five districts. Senior ministers including Veena George and K.K. Shailaja lost their seats as a decade of Left rule came to a decisive end.
Key Takeaways
The UDF swept five of 14 districts — Malappuram , Wayanad , Ernakulam , Kottayam , and Idukki — leaving the LDF with zero seats in each.
Ernakulam saw the UDF win all 14 seats ; Malappuram all 16 , with IUML candidates posting record margins.
Senior LDF ministers Veena George , V.N.
Rajesh lost their seats.
The LDF was reduced to one seat each in Kasaragod, Pathanamthitta, and Kozhikode.
The BJP increased its tally to three seats , winning Nemom, Kazhakkoottam, and Chathanoor.
The UDF returns to power after a decade in opposition.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has stormed to power in Kerala, delivering one of the most decisive electoral mandates in the state's recent history, sweeping five of 14 districts clean and dismantling the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF)'s entrenched strongholds across the state. The results, declared on 5 May, mark the UDF's return to power after a decade out of office.
Districts Where UDF Swept Clean
The UDF registered clean sweeps in Malappuram, Wayanad, Ernakulam, Kottayam, and Idukki, leaving the LDF without a single seat in these regions. Ernakulam emerged as the standout, with the UDF winning all 14 seats — widely described as a historic sweep. In Malappuram, all 16 seats went to the UDF, with Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) candidates reportedly posting record margins.
LDF's Scale of Defeat
The LDF was reduced to just one seat each in Kasaragod, Pathanamthitta, and Kozhikode, underscoring the depth of the electoral rout. In Kozhikode, long considered a Left citadel, the UDF won 12 of 13 seats, with only Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas managing to retain Beypore for the LDF. In southern districts, the UDF won majorities in Kollam and Alappuzha, while the Left held on only to Konni in Pathanamthitta. This is widely regarded as one of the LDF's most significant setbacks in recent electoral history, both in scale and in the loss of its once formidable geographical bastions.
Ministers and Heavyweights Who Lost
The poll verdict was particularly harsh on the ruling Left establishment, with a string of senior ministers and political heavyweights suffering defeats. Among those who lost were Veena George, V.N. Vasavan, V. Sivankutty, R. Bindu, and M.B. Rajesh. Prominent leaders including Jose K. Mani, K.K. Shailaja, K.B. Ganesh Kumar, and K.T. Jaleel also failed to secure re-election. Riding a powerful wave of anti-incumbency, the UDF not only reclaimed constituencies it had lost in 2021 but also made deep inroads into traditional Left bastions.
Where the LDF Found Consolation
The LDF found limited consolation in Thrissur, Palakkad, and Kannur. However, even in Thrissur — which had delivered 13 seats to the Left in the previous election — its tally dropped to nine. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also made gains, opening its account in Nemom and Kazhakkoottam in the capital district of Thiruvananthapuram, and adding a third seat by winning Chathanoor in Kollam district, further denting LDF prospects.
Other Notable Results
The election also saw cultural figures enter the political arena, with actor Ramesh Pisharody, contesting on a UDF ticket, winning his seat. With this emphatic verdict, the UDF returns to power after a decade, while the LDF faces a reckoning over the loss of its once formidable geographical strongholds and the defeat of its most recognisable faces.
Point of View
And being reduced to a single seat in Kozhikode, signals that the CPI(M)'s organisational machinery has eroded in ways that one election cycle may not repair. The defeat of K.K. Shailaja — arguably the LDF's most nationally recognised face — is particularly telling; popular governance did not translate into personal electoral protection. The BJP's quiet expansion to three seats also deserves attention: it is building a southern foothold that could complicate future triangular contests.
NationPress
7 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which districts did the UDF sweep clean in the Kerala elections?
The UDF won every seat in five districts — Malappuram, Wayanad, Ernakulam, Kottayam, and Idukki — leaving the LDF with zero seats in each. Ernakulam (14 seats) and Malappuram (16 seats) were the most striking clean sweeps.
Which LDF ministers lost in the Kerala Assembly elections?
Several senior LDF ministers lost their seats, including Veena George, V.N. Vasavan, V. Sivankutty, R. Bindu, and M.B. Rajesh. Prominent leaders K.K. Shailaja, Jose K. Mani, K.B. Ganesh Kumar, and K.T. Jaleel also failed to win re-election.
How many seats did the BJP win in Kerala?
The BJP won three seats — Nemom and Kazhakkoottam in Thiruvananthapuram, and Chathanoor in Kollam district — increasing its tally from the previous election.
Where did the LDF manage to hold on in Kerala?
The LDF found limited consolation in Thrissur, Palakkad, and Kannur, though even Thrissur's tally fell from 13 seats to nine. The LDF retained just one seat each in Kasaragod, Pathanamthitta, and Kozhikode.
How significant is the UDF's Kerala victory historically?
The UDF's return to power after a decade, combined with clean sweeps in five districts and the defeat of multiple sitting ministers, makes this one of the most significant electoral mandates in Kerala's recent history. It is widely described as the LDF's worst setback in terms of both scale and loss of geographic strongholds.
