LDF's Jose K Mani will win the Pala assembly constituency in Kottayam district, according to the Manorama News-VMR exit poll results.
Jose K Mani will defeat UDF candidate and incumbent MLA Mani C Kappan. Jose K Mani will poll 45 per cent of votes while Kappen will finish second with 38.9 per cent of votes. BJP's J Prameela Devi is projected to get 14.3 per cent of votes, according to the survey.
The election in Pala was keenly watched as Jose K Mani contested on the LDF ticket. The Kerala Congress (M) led by Jose K Mani joined the LDF after the party was expelled from the UDF. Pala is the home turf of the Kerala Congress (M) and the constituency had been represented by Jose K Mani's father K M Mani for over 50 years until his death in 2019. In the 2019 bypoll, LDF candidate Mani C Kappan wrested the seat after three unsuccessful bids.
Kappan left the NCP, which is an ally of the LDF, and joined the UDF ahead of the assembly elections protesting against the LDF's move to allot the seat to Jose K Mani.
Pala is a prestigious battle not only for Jose K Mani and Kappen but also to the LDF, which was flayed for joining hands with the Kerala Congress (M). The CPM had staged violent protests against K M Mani during the bar bribery allegations against the veteran leader.
