Kerala the most literate state of all, is going to the polls on April 9, 2026.  Just a week away, yet there is no clarity on voters' preferences and what they actually have in mind when they vote.  Kerala has a simple electoral matrix - the United Democratic Front (UDF) and Left Democratic Front (LDF) have ruled the state, alternating each time. But this rhythm was broken in 2021 when  Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took the oath of office for his second consecutive term and has gone on to rule the state for an unprecedented ten-year tenure. What people voted for was his strong governance credentials- welfare delivery, and crisis management during floods and the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the last five years have not been very smooth for the LDF; the challenges are mounting........

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