KERALA LIVE: Congress gains historic mandate in Kerala, Rahul thanks voters

LDF regains one seat, Congress-led UDF lead by 19-1 in Kerala. Congress gains over one lakh votes in nine constituencies in Kerala. Rahul expresses love and gratitude

Thiruvananthapuram: Counting of votes polled during the April 23 Lok Sabha polls for 20 seats in Kerala is underway amidst heavy security.

LIVE UPDATES:

• LDF regains one seat, Congress-led UDF lead by 19-1 in Kerala
• Congress gains over one lakh votes in nine constituencies in Kerala. Rahul expresses love and gratitude
• Remya Haridas, Congress Candidate from Alathur parliamentary constituency becomes only the second Dalit Woman MP from Kerala. She was pitted against the sitting CPI(M) MP in a seat which is considered as a left bastion
  

  Remya Haridas
• Kerala sents the 'right' message to India. This mandate is against the strong-arm policies of the left; claims Congress
• Experts say handling of Sabarimala issue backfired on Pinarayi government
• Mandate in the state against the policies of the communist government. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should tender his resignation- UDF leader Ramesh Chennithala
• Congress President Rahul Gandhi leading with over 4,00,000 votes from Kerala's Wayanad
• Happy and sad at the same moment- Shashi Tharoor

  • As my lead nears 50,000 with 72% counted, i feel like a batsman who has scored a century while his team has lost! It's a bittersweet emotion I will take some time to reflect on. #TharoorForTvm

    — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 23, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

    As my lead nears 50,000 with 72% counted, i feel like a batsman who has scored a century while his team has lost! It's a bittersweet emotion I will take some time to reflect on. #TharoorForTvm

    — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 23, 2019

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    As my lead nears 50,000 with 72% counted, i feel like a batsman who has scored a century while his team has lost! It's a bittersweet emotion I will take some time to reflect on. #TharoorForTvm

    — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 23, 2019

• Proud that BJP lost in Kerala- CPIM general secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan
  

  CPIM general secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan
• LDF gains ground in Alapuzha Parliamentary constituency leading with 12,000 votes
• Congress President Rahul Gandhi leads in Wayanad constituency with a massive 2,75,000 votes, sets a state record
• P K Kunhalikutty of the Indian Union Muslim League, an ally of the Congress, has extended his lead to over 2 lakh votes from Malappuram Parliamentary Constituency
• K Muraleedharan of Congress wins from Vadakara. Claims minority voted against the BJP in the state
• Party workers greet Congress leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala
• Congress leading in all 20 seats
• Anto Anthony of Congress set to win big from Pathanamthitta where Sabarimala issue was the major election issue
• Even with all the support it manage to gather following the Sabarimala issue, the BJP led NDA fails to open its account in Kerala yet again
• CPI(M) is trailing in Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's constituency in Left stronghold district of Kannur
• Shashi Tharoor leads in Thiruvananthapuram with a margin of 11693 votes
• Dean Kuriakose of UDF extends his lead with over one lakh from Idukki
• Shanimol Usman of the UDF takes lead in Alappuzha. Now, LDF leads only in Kasaragod and UDF leads in the other 19. Neck and Neck battle between LDF and UDF in Alappuzha and Kasaragod
• Congress chief Rahul Gandhi leads in Wayanad constituency with a massive 78,000 votes in the Lok Sabha elections

Based on initial trends, Congress-led United Democratic Front storms to an early lead in 18 out of 20 Lok Sabha seats.

After an early scare, Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor leads in Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat against the BJP's Kummanam Rajasekharan.

Besides, in Pathanamthitta, regarded as a politically volatile seat after the Sabarimala issue, has seen a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress.

The southern state had witnessed heavy polling of 77.68 per cent, the highest in 30 years, where the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the opposition Congress-headed UDF put up a fierce fight to garner maximum seats.

Counting began at 8 AM at 140 centres across 29 locations in the state.

The strength of the electorate in the state is 2.61 crore.

As per the Election Commission figures, 77.68 per cent of the total of 2.61 crore electors had turned up in 24,970 polling stations across Kerala on polling day to cast their franchise.