Celebrations outside Kerala House in Delhi, Monday. (Express Photo by Sophiya Mathew)

5 min read May 4, 2026 05:58 PM IST First published on: May 4, 2026 at 05:58 PM IST

The United Democratic Front’s (UDF) victory in the Kerala assembly election has surprised even its most optimistic supporters. While exit polls and pre-election analyses indicated the possibility of a UDF return to power, the scale of the victory has exceeded expectations, pointing to a strong wave of anti-incumbency against an otherwise confident Left Democratic Front (LDF). At the time of writing, the Congress-led UDF is crossing the 90-seat mark, drawing support across regions and social constituencies. The Muslim League, a key alliance partner, has performed strongly in the seats it contested, while the Congress’s strategy of backing LDF rebels has paid dividends.…