Kerala Polls: Pinarayi Vijayan leads for 1st time

Kozhikode: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took the lead for the first time in the Dharmadam constituency after vote counting progressed to eight rounds in the 2026 Kerala Assembly election. He is currently ahead by 3,656 votes, securing 44,199 votes against the UDF candidate Adv. V.P. Abdul Rasheed’s 40,540. Rasheed had led during the first six rounds, initially overtaking Vijayan in the first round itself with a margin of 733 votes. His lead increased to 2,523 votes in the second round, slightly narrowed to 2,077 after the third, and rose again to 2,812 votes by the fourth round.

Out of a total of 15 rounds, 10 rounds remain to be counted. Early trends indicated strong momentum for the UDF, which is leading in 95 seats, while the LDF leads in 43 and the NDA in one. Several ministers are trailing, suggesting significant anti-incumbency sentiment against the LDF government.