UDF has upper hand in Kerala say opinion polls, uphill task for Shashi Tharoor

While one survey has predicted Tharoor will lose, another says it will be a photo finish in the constituency.

news Lok Sabha 2019

The opinion poll survey results by major news networks in Kerala have predicted that the Congress led United Democratic Front (UDF) will have an upper hand in the Lok Sabha polls. Out of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state, UDF will sweep more than half of the total number of seats, polls predicted.

According to the opinion poll survey conducted by Manorama News, UDF will sweep 13 out of the 20 Lok Sabha seats whereas LDF will win in only three seats. The survey results also said that four constituencies will witness a photo finish.

Meanwhile the opinion poll conducted by Mathrubhumi News said that UDF will win in 14 constituencies, LDF in five and BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will win in Thiruvananthapuram constituency. Manorama News' opinion poll has said that Thiruvananthapuram constituency will witness a photo finish between UDF candidate Shashi Tharoor and NDA’s Kummanam Rajasekharan.

Wayanad

Wayanad constituency has grabbed national attention after Congress President Rahul Gandhi was announced as the UDF candidate from here. The survey results have predicted that people of Wayanad constituency will stand with UDF.

Both the survey results predicted that UDF will get more than 40% votes in Wayanad constituency. “The survey was conducted before Rahul Gandhi’s candidature in Wayanad was declared and yet it shows that 43% vote share in the constituency will go to UDF. LDF will only get 38% and only nine % for NDA,” said Manorama. Mathrubhumi has said UDF will get 42% vote share in Wayanad, while 34% will go to LDF and that NDA will get 13% vote.

But it is highly possible that UDF’s vote share will increase more than the predicted percentages as Rahul Gandhi’s candidature had created wave in the constituency and across the state itself.

Photo finish in Vadakara and Pathanamthtitta

Vadakara constituency will witness a fierce fight between LDF candidate P Jayarajan and UDF’s K Muraleedharan. One of the survey results has predicted photo finish in the constituency with an edge to LDF. Other survey has also predicted just one percent difference in vote share between UDF and LDF, with an upper hand to the latter.

The candidature of P Jayarajan, one of CPI (M)'s most powerful leaders from Kannur, had made Congress in the state go into a limbo for some days, as they had to announce an equally strong candidate in the constituency. K Muraleedharan, a sitting MLA, was the former president of KPCC, former minister and three time MP from Kozhikode.

The Manorama survey from Pathanamthitta, a constituency which has drawn much attention following the Sabarimala women entry issue, says that UDF will get an upper hand here. But Mathrubhumi has predicted that K Surendran of NDA and sitting MP Anto Antony of UDF will have a close fight this time. BJP leader K Surendran was one of the leaders who headed various protests in Sabarimala issue.

Other constituencies which UDF has been predicted to get an upper hand are Kollam, Ponnani, Kasaragod, Kannur, Chalakudy, Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur.