The counting of votes in the Lok Sabha elections to the 20 parliamentary constituencies of Kerala began at 8 am Thursday. The state’s leading political fronts – the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – ran a high-voltage campaign that lasted almost four weeks before polling on April 23. The final voter turnout in the state according to the Election Commission stood at 77.68%, a marginal improvement from the 73.89% turnout recorded in 2014.

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The Congress president has been proven right in fighting from Wayanad, a constituency that has been favourable for Congress' prospects. Rahul is leading by 15,000 votes over CPI's PP Suneer. NDA's Thushar Vellappally is in third place.

According to the Election Commission, the Congress-led UDF is leading in 10 out of the 12 seats for which results are available. The LDF is leading in just two seats. The BJP is trailing everywhere in Kerala including in Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta.

This year, exit poll findings released on Sunday have predicted a near-sweep for the UDF winning up to 16 out of 20 seats. Seven out of eight exit polls projected the LDF, which rules the state, to get anywhere between four and eight seats. The same projections say the BJP could finally open its account in Kerala by winning the Thiruvananthapuram seat.

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