By Mukesh 
Kerala has long kept its own counsel at the ballot box. In the Assembly elections of 2026, the electorate of this politically alert State delivered what many observers had anticipated — a decisive verdict, where the United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Indian National Congress, is returning to power with a thumping majority, ending the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) unprecedented decade-long run in office. Equally notable is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) entry, with two former Union Ministers crossing the threshold into the Kerala Assembly. The results show a UDF majority with 97 seats (out of 140), against the LDF’s 35 and the NDA’s 3.
The pattern across the recent electoral cycles tells its own story. The 2024 Lok Sabha result, in which the UDF swept 18 of the 20 parliamentary seats, was the first clear signal. The 2025 local body elections confirmed the trend. And now, in 2026, the pendulum has completed its arc.