Kerala exit polls: UDF jubilant as LDF, NDA disagree with predictions

A day after exit polls predicted the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) returning to power in Kerala after a decade, the incumbent Left Democratic Front (LDF) said no anti-defection sentiment could be seen among the people.

Also read: Exit polls predict BJP win in Assam, edge in Bengal; DMK to return in TN, UDF to take Kerala

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) said there was a strong anti-incumbency mood at play but no pro-UDF wave.

LDF confident of third term, NDA of more seats

While the LDF, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, said it would accomplish a hat-trick of winning power this time, the NDA said it would get more seats than what the pollsters have said.

The UDF, on the other hand, welcomed the predictions and said it was also expecting something similar. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief Sunny Joseph and senior party leader K Muraleedharan said the exit poll figures were close to the numbers calculated by the party and indicated that the UDF will come to power after the Assembly poll results are declared on May 4.

"So, as far as UDF is concerned, our win is assured," Muraleedharan told reporters and added that who will be the chief minister will be decided only after the results come out.

"We expect the people's verdict to be in favour of the UDF," Joseph said at a press conference.

IUML welcomes exit poll predictions

Congress-ally and a key UDF constituent, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), also welcomed the exit polls, saying that it was similar to the outcome predicted by the front.

Also read: Bengal, Assam exit polls spark fierce debate as experts question BJP-sweep predictions

IUML supremo Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal told the media that since all the agencies which carried out the exit polls predicted a UDF win, it can be believed.

"We expect UDF to get more seats than what was predicted in the exit poll," he said.

No anti-incumbency, says Left

The Left bloc claimed that they did not show any anti-incumbency factor. State secretary of the LDF’s leading party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), M V Govindan; LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan, state Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas; and senior party leader N N Krishnadas were of the view that the exit polls were not important.

Govindan said the LDF was not worried, as the exit polls actually show that the Left will again come to power.

He also questioned the basis for the predictions that the BJP might win between 3 and 14 seats and asserted that the saffron party will not win even one.

Also read: Has UDF broken Pinarayi's hat-trick chances? Exit poll discussion

Ramakrishnan, Riyas and Krishnadas also spoke along similar lines.

Riyas and Krishnadas said that exit polls predicted that the LDF would lose in 2021, but they were proved wrong.

Meanwhile, BJP leader P K Krishnadas told a TV channel that according to the exit polls, there was an anti-incumbency factor in the state, but no pro-UDF wave.

He claimed that the BJP will make the most gains in the recently held polls.

(With agency inputs)