Thiruvananthapuram, 04 May (H.S.):Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan continues to trail in the Dharmadam Assembly constituency as counting for the Kerala Assembly elections gathers pace on Monday, with trends indicating a significant shift in the political landscape of the state.

UDF candidate V.P. Abdul Rasheed has maintained a steady and decisive lead over Vijayan beyond the third round of counting, with the margin crossing 2,000 votes. This development is particularly striking given that Dharmadam has long been considered a stronghold of the Left and a safe seat for the Chief Minister, who had secured a comfortable victory here in the previous election.

The contest began as a closely fought battle during the initial rounds of postal ballot counting, where both the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) were locked in a tight race. However, the momentum shifted notably once the counting of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes commenced, with the UDF candidate gradually pulling ahead and consolidating his lead in successive rounds.

The continued trailing of Vijayan comes amid broader statewide trends suggesting a strong performance by the UDF, which is leading in a majority of constituencies. Several ministers in the ruling LDF government are also trailing, reflecting a challenging electoral environment for the Left front.

While counting is still underway and more rounds remain, political observers note that the sustained lead for the UDF in Dharmadam has emerged as one of the most closely watched contests of the election, potentially signalling a major upset in Kerala politics.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman