The Left Democratic Front (LDF) would come back to power in Kerala winning 73 seats, according to the Manorama News-VMR Kerala exit poll result released on Friday.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) would continue to be in opposition for another five years with 64 seats. National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would win two seats (Manjeswaram and Kazhakkottam) and PC George, who is not affiliated to any fronts, would win Poonjar.
In the first part of the exit poll released on Thursday from seven districts, UDF got 38 seats while LDF collected 34 seats.
The second part of the exit poll released results from seven districts of Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram.
Ernakulam
Total seats: 14
UDF - 11, LDF - 3, NDA - 0
The exit poll predicted huge gains for the UDF. The coalition, which won 9 seats in 2016, would increase its tally to 11 this time. The remaining three seats would go to the LDF.
Prominent UDF winners include Roji John (Angamaly), Anwar Sadath (Aluva), VD Satheeshan (Paravur), Tony Chammani (Kochi), K Babu (Thripunithura), T J Vinod (Ernakulam), PT Thomas (Thrikkakara), V P Sajeendran (Kunnathunadu) and Mathew Kuzhalnadan (Muvattupuzha).
The poll predicted prominent CPM leaders P Rajeev and M Swaraj would suffer defeats from Kalamassery and Thripunithura respectively.
Idukki
Total seats - 5
UDF - 4, LDF - 1, NDA - 0
UDF would double its tally in Idukki, predicted the exit poll. The Congress-led coalition, which won two out of five seats in 2016, would win four seats. The hilly district would witness the biggest upset as Kerala's Electricity Minister M M Mani would lose to Congress candidate EM Augusthy.
Kottayam
Total seats - 9
LDF - 5, UDF - 3, Others - 1
LDF would make big gains in Kottayam, winning five seats as against UDF's three. In 2016, UDF won five seats while LDF got three seats. The exit poll showed that LDF might have gained because of the inclusion of the Kerala Congress (Mani) faction into its fold.
PC George, who is not aligned with any of the fronts, would win the Poonjar constituency.
Kerala Congress candidates Jose K Mani, N Jayaraj, Job Michael would win comfortably for LDF, the poll predicted.
Congress leaders Oommen Chandy and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and senior CPM leader V N Vasavan would also win comfortably.
Alappuzha
Total seats - 9
LDF - 6, UDF - 3
LDF would win six seats in Alappuzha while UDF would win three seats, the exit poll predicted.
Pathanamthitta
Total seats - 5
LDF - 5, UDF -0, NDA - 0
LDF made huge gains in Pathanamthitta, winning all five seats on offer in the hilly district.
Konni, which witnessed a tough three-way fight, LDF candidate and incumbent MLA KU Jenish Kumar would emerge victorious pushing UDF's Robin Peter to second and NDA's K Surendran to third.
Kollam
Total seats - 11
LDF -9, UDF - 2
LDF maintained its upper hand in the Kollam district winning 9 out of the 11 seats up for grabs in the coastal district.
The performance, however, could not match the LDF show in 2016 when it swept all the seats.
Prominent winners from LDF include Fisheries Minister J Mercy Kutty Amma, K N Balagopal, film actor Mukesh and K B Ganesh Kumar.
UDF winners are UDF candidates CR Mahesh (Karunagappaly) and Shibu Baby John (Chavara).
Thiruvananthapuram
Total seats: 14
LDF -10, UDF-3, NDA-1
LDF would win 10 seats in the capital district. UDF would win three seats while NDA would settle for one seat.
All the three fronts won the same number of seats in the 2016 assembly election too.
The biggest upset was in Nemom, where BJP leader Kummanam Rajashekharan would lose to LDF's V Sivankutty.
However, the BJP would make up the lost ground with a victory in Kazhakkoottam where party leader Shobha Surendran would upset Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran.
