Kerala's Left rejects exit polls verdict, cites CM Vijayan's popularity
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Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) is emphasising Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's personal popularity while dismissing exit poll estimates of a UDF triumph, revealing a contradiction at the heart of its post-election message.
According to one exit poll, Vijayan remains the most popular candidate for Chief Minister, a result that the Left has amplified.
CPI-M leaders argue that this endorsement reflects public approval of governance and leadership continuity, IANS reported.
"There is no anti-incumbency sentiment," CPI-M General Secretary M. A. Baby said, insisting that allegations against the Chief Minister failed to cut through with voters.
The LDF has rallied around the slogan "Not Exit, but In", interpreting the slender margins suggested in surveys as evidence of a tightly contested race rather than an impending defeat.
Leaders contend that the absence of a strong anti-incumbency wave, coupled with Vijayan’s popularity, will ultimately translate into a renewed mandate.
However, the selective acceptance of favourable data points while discarding the overall projection has drawn attention to an inherent inconsistency.
Political observers note that if exit polls are deemed credible in establishing the Chief Minister’s popularity, their broader seat projections cannot be entirely discounted.
The Left, for its part, argues that leadership preference and voting behaviour do not always align neatly, suggesting that personal approval may yet convert into electoral gains on counting day.
Still, as it embraces one half of the exit poll narrative while rejecting the other, the LDF’s stance underscores the high-stakes uncertainty ahead of the final verdict.
Counting of votes will begin at 8 a.m on Monday, and in a matter of two hours, the clear picture will emerge on who will get the key to the State Secretariat for the next five years. Barring one exit poll, all the rest clearly point out that Vijayan will be shown the exit door, and while the door would open for the Congress-led UDF.