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Kerala Election 2026: Security Tight at Mar Ivanios College Counting Centre

Security has been tightened outside Mar Ivanios College in Thiruvananthapuram as vote counting for the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections begins. Counting for all 140 seats starts at 8 am with postal ballots, followed by EVM counting. Exit polls predict a win for the Congress-led UDF, while the ruling LDF hopes for a third consecutive term. Both BJP candidate V Muraleedharan and Congress MP Jebi Mather expressed confidence in their respective alliances.

Key Points: Kerala Assembly Election 2026: Vote Counting Begins

  • Security tightened at Thiruvananthapuram counting centre
  • Counting for 140 seats begins at 8 am with postal ballots
  • Voter turnout recorded at 78.27%
  • Exit polls predict UDF win with 72-90 seats
2 min read

Keralam Assembly Election 2026: Security tightened outside Thiruvananthapuram's Mar Ivanios College ahead of vote counting

Counting for 140 Kerala Assembly seats begins at 8 am. 78.27% voter turnout recorded. Exit polls favour UDF. BJP and Congress express confidence.

"I am hopeful that there will be a verdict in favour of the NDA-BJP. - V Muraleedharan"

Thiruvananthapuram, May 4

Security has been tightened outside the Mar Ivanios College campus in Thiruvananthapuram as counting for the Keralam Assembly Elections 2026 is set to begin shortly.

Visuals from the counting centre showed Election Commission officials and party workers arriving early, with elaborate arrangements in place for counting votes of all constituencies in the district.

Counting for all 140 Assembly seats will commence at 8 am, starting with postal ballots, followed by EVM counting from 8:30 am. Authorities confirmed that round-wise updates will be available in real time on the ECINET platform and the Election Commission portal.

Notably, the state recorded a voter turnout of 78.27 per cent in the single-phase polling held on April 9.

According to official data, postal votes polled across the Thiruvananthapuram district include Varkala (2,884), Attingal (3,977), Chirayinkeezhu (2,976), Nedumangad (3,926), Vamanapuram (3,807), Kazhakkoottam (2,437), Vattiyoorkavu (2,734), Thiruvananthapuram (1,916), Nemom (2,511), Aruvikkara (3,676), Parassala (3,448), Kattakkada (3,531), Kovalam (3,065), and Neyyattinkara (3,998), indicating strong participation in early voting.

Ahead of counting, BJP candidate from Kazhakootam, V Muraleedharan, expressed confidence in a positive mandate. He said the party highlighted the "politics of performance" under Narendra Modi and pitched for a development-oriented Kerala. "I am hopeful that there will be a verdict in favour of the NDA-BJP," he told ANI.

On the other hand, Congress MP Jebi Mather exuded confidence in a decisive win for the United Democratic Front (UDF). She asserted that the people of Kerala have chosen change and said the Chief Minister would be from the Congress, to be decided by party leadership and MLAs.

Exit polls largely favour the Congress-led UDF, with projections ranging between 72 and 90 seats, while the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to secure 49 to 62 seats. The BJP-led NDA is projected to win a marginal share. The LDF had scripted history in 2021 by winning consecutive terms, breaking Keralam's trend of alternating governments.

The counting in Keralam is part of a larger electoral exercise across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry. As results unfold, all eyes remain on whether Keralam will witness another shift in its political cycle in favour of UDF or will LDF create history once again by winning a third consecutive term.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
I really hope the counting process is smooth and transparent. Security outside Mar Ivanios is a good move—Thiruvananthapuram has many sensitive constituencies. However, I wish the Election Commission would also focus on curbing money power and fake voters, which remain issues in every election. Let's see if the results bring stability or more uncertainty for Kerala's development.
S
Sarah B
As someone who follows Indian politics from abroad, this is a big day! Kerala's elections always have interesting dynamics—strong ideological divide between left and centre, plus the BJP making inroads in certain areas. Excited to see if V Muraleedharan can actually win Kazhakootam or if the UDF wave is real. Real-time updates on ECINET platform are a great initiative! 📊
V
Vikram M
Akhil Kerala politics! The postal ballot numbers are quite high—nearly 40,000 across Thiruvananthapuram district. That shows civil servants, military personnel, and essential workers are actively participating. Whether LDF makes a hat-trick or UDF returns to power, I just hope the winning party focuses on unemployment, infrastructure, and education—the real issues facing Malayalees.
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Rohit P
I'm from Kerala but living in Mumbai now. It's always exciting to see our state's elections—people genuinely debate ideologies in tea shops! Exit polls show UDF ahead, but we all know how wrong they can be. Remember 2021? Everyone predicted UDF win but LDF won. I'm rooting for stability and development, whoever wins. Counting day is like a festival here! 😄
K
Kavya N

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