The BJP, which had only opened its account in Kerala in the 2016 assembly elections, seems to have made significant inroads in the coastal state after five years. As counting progresses for the 140 assembly seats on Sunday, the BJP-backed NDA is leading in two constituencies—Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram's Nemom.
Former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan is leading by almost 1,500 votes in the constituency known as the Gujarat of Kerala. It is not an easy run for Kummanam who is embroiled in a three-cornered contest against V. Sivankutty of CPI(M) and K. Muraleedharan of the UDF. Sitting MP Muraleedharan has been pushed to the third place in Nemom. Kummanam had also contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Thiruvananthapuram against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
However, metroman E. Sreedharan's victory run would be the most enthralling for the saffron party in Kerala. The veteran is leading against CPI(M)'s C.P. Pramod by over 4,600 votes. In an unpleasant surprise for the UDF, sitting MLA Shafi Parambil has been pushed to the third place in Palakkad.
In Thrissur, actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi, who was leading until noon, has seems to have gone down to the third place. Interestingly, LDF's P. Balachandran is leading in the constituency by over 239 votes against UDF's Padmaja Venugopal. The constituency is witnessing a close three-cornered contest.
