Trinamool Congress-led alliance appears set to sweep West Bengal, AIADMK-led coalition looks well ahead in Tamil Nadu, while there is a close contest between ruling LDF and UDF in Kerala in the counting of votes in the assembly elections in four states that began today.
New Delhi (PTI): In Assam, the ruling Congress appears to be emerging as the single largest party in contention for a third successive term, while in Puducherry also it looks headed for a third term.
In the 294-seat assembly in West Bengal, the 34-year-old regime of the Left front is set to crumble with Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress ahead in 172 seats. The Left Front is leading in 67 seats.
In Tamil Nadu, the DMK appears to be on the way out of power with J Jayalalitha-led AIADMK alliance ahead in 159 of the 234 seats. The DMK-Congress alliance was ahead only in 44.
Kerala has witnessed an interesting duel between the ruling Left Democratic Front led by CPI(M) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front. The UDF is ahead in 73 seats in the 140-member assembly. The LDF was leading in 65.
In Assam, Congress was ahead in 50 seats, BJP and AGP leading in seven seats each and Bodoland Peoples Front leading in five seats.
In the 30-member assembly in Puducherry, DMK-led alliance was ahead in 10 seats while AIADMK was leading in five.
As trends poured in from all 140 segments, UDF aspirants were leading in 72 segments and LDF candidates in 64.
BJP’s O Rajagopal was leading in Nemom over his nearest CPI(M) rival V Sivankutty by a margin of over 1000 votes. The party, which has never won an assembly seat, has made all efforts to open its account.
While LDF is putting up a strong showing in Palakkad and Kannur, UDF has an edge in Kottayam and Wayanad districts.
In Thiruvananthapuram, the rival fronts appeared evenly poised.Prominent LDF candidates ahead in the race include Chief Minister and CPI-M veteran V S Achuthanandan and Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.
Except RSP’s N K Premachandran in Chavara, 13 other ministers seeking fresh mandate have established a early lead over their rivals.
In Malappuram, UDF’s second largest partner Indian Union Muslim League has established a clear edge over its LDF rivals, leading in 14 of the 18 seats in the district.
UDF Chief Ministerial probable Oommen Chandy is leading by over 7000 votes in his pocket-borough Puthupally in Kottayam district.
KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala has a slight edge of 192 votes over his CPI rival Krishnaprasad in Harippad segment.
Assembly Speaker K Radhakrishan (CPI-M) is leading by over 4500 votes in Thrissur.
UDF’s M V Shreyams Kumar (SJD) has established a comfortable lead of over 13,000 votes in Kalpetta in Wayanad district.