As Kerala exit polls project UDF win, Congress faces ‘KC Venugopal as chief minister’ question
Exit polls project the Congress-led UDF to win the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, potentially ousting the ruling LDF, but the Congress faces questions over who will lead as chief minister if victorious. Senior leader Tariq Anwar suggested KC Venugopal could be a contender for the chief minister's post, though the final decision rests with the party's high command. The actual results will be announced on May 4, 2026, by the Election Commission of India along with three other states.
- ▪Exit polls predict the Congress-led UDF will win between 70 and 90 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly, while the LDF is expected to win between 49 and 65.
- ▪Tariq Anwar, former Kerala in-charge and Congress MP, stated that KC Venugopal could become chief minister if he is interested and the high command approves.
- ▪The Congress high command will appoint an observer to consult the legislative party and finalize the chief ministerial candidate after the results.
- ▪Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal dismissed the exit poll projections, claiming the LDF and UDF are neck-and-neck and expressing confidence in the LDF's return to power.
- ▪The Kerala Assembly elections were held on April 9, 2026, with vote counting and official results scheduled for May 4, 2026.
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As Kerala exit polls project UDF win, Congress faces ‘KC Venugopal as chief minister’ questionThe recent exit polls predict that the Congress-led UDF will win in the Assembly polls and the CPI(M)-headed LDF would come second.Updated on: May 01, 2026 9:39 PM ISTEdited by Sana FaziliShare viaCopy link Voting has concluded, fates of candidates sealed, predictions on who wins and who loses have been made in the exit polls. Now, all eyes are set on May 4 when votes will be counted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and results declared across four states – Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Assam -- where the elections were held in the last one month.
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