A day after voting in the Assembly elections, all major political fronts in Ernakulam district expressed optimism about an improved performance, even as the higher voter turnout of 79.89% triggers speculation.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), based on a preliminary assessment of the polling, on Friday (April 10, 2026) exuded confidence that it would record a sweeping victory by winning all 14 constituencies in the district. The CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), meanwhile, said its seat share would go up, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), headed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said it was all set to open its account in the district.

The UDF, which is confident of a “State-wide trend” in its favour, is also expecting a wave to sweep across the district. “The political circumstances are such that there is no reason for us to lose any seat in the district. This is an election that gave people a chance to vote directly against the Pinarayi government. This is the sentiment we felt throughout the campaign,” District Congress Committee president Mohammed Shiyas said.

Mr. Shiyas, the UDF candidate in the Kochi constituency, one of the five seats held by the LDF in the district, said the LDF would lose all its sitting seats, including Kalamassery, represented by CPI(M) leader and Industries Minister P. Rajeeve, in the “UDF wave”. The UDF, however, was yet to process the booth-wise polling data.

The CPI(M) conducted a preliminary assessment of the polling at a district secretariat meeting on Friday. The party’s district secretary, S. Sathish, said the LDF would improve its tally, though he did not go into details.

Another CPI(M) leader, meanwhile, said the LDF is hopeful of winning the Thripunithura seat, besides retaining its sitting seats, though the victory margins may be lower. The front is pinning its hopes on CPI(M) candidate K.N. Unnikrishnan’s personal network in the constituency, especially in the Palluruthy area. The party’s preliminary assessment is that Mr. Unnikrishnan will win by 3,000-odd votes.

CPI(M)’s M. Swaraj had lost Thripunithura to Congress veteran K. Babu by 998 votes in 2021. The LDF also expects the support of a section of BJP voters this time, as the NDA has fielded Twenty20’s Anjali Nair, a CPI(M) source said.

BJP district president (Ernakulam city) K.S. Shyju said the NDA is confident of winning the Kunnathunadu seat, where Twenty20 has fielded Babu Divakaran, who quit the Congress ahead of the polls. Twenty20 had polled 42,701 votes, while the BJP managed 7,218 votes in Kunnathunadu last time. P.V. Sreenijin of the CPI(M) won the seat in 2021 against the Congress’s V.P. Sajeendran by 2,715 votes. The two leaders faced each other again this time. Mr. Shyju said the NDA expects to win Kunnathunadu by 4,000–5,500 votes.

The NDA has also exuded confidence about an impressive electoral show in Thripunithura and Perumbavoor. Twenty20 candidates were in the fray in both segments. The party is counting on the large turnout of women voters as a key factor in its favour.