Kerala Exit Poll 2026: UDF holds slight edge in Kollam, Bindhu Krishna likely to win
The UDF is expected to win between five and seven of the district’s 11 seats, while the LDF could secure four to six seats.
The UDF is expected to win between five and seven of the district’s 11 seats, while the LDF could secure four to six seats.
The UDF is expected to win between five and seven of the district’s 11 seats, while the LDF could secure four to six seats.
The Manorama News–C Voter exit poll for the Kerala Assembly elections 2026 suggests a closely fought contest in Kollam district, with the UDF holding a marginal advantage over the LDF.
According to the projections, the UDF is expected to win between five and seven of the district’s 11 seats, while the LDF could secure four to six seats. The NDA is unlikely to win any seats in the district. In terms of vote share, the UDF is projected to secure around 43%, followed by the LDF at 39%, while the NDA may garner about 14%.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the LDF had a strong showing in Kollam, winning 9 out of 11 seats, while the UDF secured the remaining two. One of the most notable results was the defeat of the then Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma in Kundara by PC Vishnunadh.
Kottarakkara, one of the key battlegrounds, is expected to witness a close contest. Finance Minister and sitting MLA K N Balagopal of the LDF is projected to retain the seat against UDF candidate and former CPM leader Aisha Potti. In Pathanapuram, another high-profile contest could see Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar winning by a narrow margin against UDF’s Jyothikumar Chamakkala.
In the Kollam constituency, the exit poll points to a slight edge for Congress leader Bindu Krishna over LDF candidate S Jayamohan. Bindu Krishna, a former Kollam DCC president, is contesting for the second consecutive time. In the 2021 election, she narrowly lost to actor-turned-politician M Mukesh by just 2,072 votes, making this a closely watched match.
The district comprises 11 constituencies: Karunagappally, Chavara, Kundara, Kottarakkara, Pathanapuram, Punalur, Chadayamangalam, Kottiyam, Kollam, Eravipuram and Chathanoor.
Key winners from the 2021 elections included M Mukesh (Kollam), K N Balagopal (Kottarakkara) and P C Vishnunadh (Kundara).
The latest projections indicate that, while the UDF has a slight edge in Kollam this time, the narrow vote-share gap points to a highly competitive electoral battle.
The Manorama News–C Voter exit poll survey offers the first comprehensive snapshot of voter sentiment across the state. The survey, conducted between April 9 and 24, covered 28,848 voters. The sample was carefully designed to reflect Kerala’s demographic and socio-economic diversity, improving the reliability of the projections.
The exit poll outlines the overall political trend in Kerala, with detailed district-wise insights across all 14 districts. It also decodes key battlegrounds, tracks vote share patterns, and indicates public preference for the Chief Minister’s post. As per Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Commission of India had prohibited the conduct and publication of exit polls from 7 am on April 9, 2026, to 6.30 pm on April 29, 2026.