Thiruvananthapuram, 04 May (H.S.):The counting of postal ballots for the Kerala Assembly elections got underway on Monday morning, with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) making early gains in at least five constituencies within the first 30 minutes.

According to initial trends, the NDA has taken the lead in Manjeshwaram, Palakkad, Nemom, Kazhakuttam, and Chathannoor. Key candidates leading from these constituencies include K. Surendran in Manjeshwaram, Shobha Surendran in Palakkad, Rajeev Chandrasekhar in Nemom, V. Muraleedharan in Kazhakuttam, and Gopakumar in Chathannoor.

The early leads have boosted confidence within the BJP camp, which is aiming to improve its presence in the 140-member Assembly. Party leaders remain optimistic about securing at least a two-digit tally, a target that has been echoed in several exit polls predicting the NDA could win anywhere between four and 14 seats.

At the BJP’s state headquarters, Mararji Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram, senior leaders, including state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, are closely monitoring the counting process as trends continue to emerge.

Meanwhile, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has edged ahead in the overall tally during the initial phase of counting, holding a slight lead over its rivals across the state.

Officials cautioned that these trends are based solely on postal ballots and early rounds of counting, and the picture is expected to evolve significantly once votes recorded in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are taken up.

With counting progressing across multiple centres, clearer trends are likely to emerge later in the day, determining whether the NDA can translate its early momentum into a significant electoral breakthrough in Kerala.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman