The Congress-led UDF has secured 18 seats in the Lok Sabha elections in Kerala, dealing a severe blow to the LDF. The LDF and NDA won from Alathur and Thrissur respectively.
In Kerala, the voter turnout dipped from 77.67% in 2014 to 71.27% in 2024. In 2019, the NDA had a combined vote share of 15.64%, the highest they had ever achieved. It is likely to increase the vote share further this time around.
Spanning from April 19, the voting process unfolded across 543 constituencies in seven phases at 8am on Tuesday. The strong rooms where the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are kept were opened at 5.30 am on Tuesday, an earlier start compared to the previous 7.30 am opening time. The counting process commenced with the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballots (ETPB) and postal votes cast by voters at their homes. Then, the votes polled in the EVMs were tallied within the next half-an-hour. Before the counting starts, the EVMs were inspected in the presence of counting agents, and the counting supervisor will ensure they have not been tampered with and break open the seal.
After each round of EVM counting, the observer appointed by the Election Commission of India will select any two EVMs and tally the count once again to verify the accuracy. Following this process, the votes will be tabulated, and the Returning Officer will declare and document the results of that round.
The verification of VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail) slips will occur only after all EVM votes have been counted in all rounds. VVPAT slips will be counted in five randomly selected polling stations in each assembly segment. It is estimated that verifying VVPAT slips for one machine will take at least an hour. The declaration of final results will follow this.
Read: 2024 Lok Sabha results: What are the three possible outcomes in Kerala
Manorama News-VMR exit polls has predicted a comprehensive win again for the UDF in Kerala in the Lok Sabha elections. While the Congress-led combine is expected to win 16 to 18 seats, the CPM-led Left front is likely to win two to four seats. More importantly, NDA is predicted to draw blank yet again. Despite the high-decibel campaign, which saw national leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking votes for the BJP-led front, NDA will not open its account in this election.