Kannur

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who was trailing until the sixth round of counting in Dharmadom constituency, has now moved into the lead, according to television reports.

However, Congress candidate V. P. Abdul Rasheed continues to remain in close contention, with Vijayan leading by around 1,500 votes and several rounds of counting still pending.

Vijayan, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) chief ministerial face, is contesting Dharmadom for the third consecutive time.

Traditionally considered a stronghold of the LDF, Dharmadom witnessing such a tight contest is seen as an uncommon development for the CPI(M) in Kannur.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, Vijayan had won the seat by a margin exceeding 45,000 votes.

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Early trends across Kerala also suggest a strong performance by the United Democratic Front (UDF), with several sitting LDF MLAs and ministers trailing in various constituencies.