Kerala: BJP leading 2 seats, Congress-led UDF ahead in 17, ruling Left in just one

Thiruvananthapuram, June 4 (IANS) The biggest surprise in Kerala as Lok Sabha votes are being counted has been that BJP is leading in two constituencies, while the Congress-led UDF is ahead in 17, and the ruling CPI-M-led Left is leading in just one seat.

Actor Suresh Gopi is racing ahead by over 30,000 votes and Congress veteran K. Muraleedharan is trailing poorly in third place.

At Thiruvananthapuram, it has now become a neck and neck race with the lead fluctuating between sitting Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

Chandrasekhar, on expected lines, has led at areas where BJP is strong and the stronghold of Tharoor is yet to be counted.

Chandrasekhar has a lead of over 2,500 votes.

The Pinarayi Vijayan-led ruling Left is in just in one constituency -- Alathur in Palakkad district -- where State Minister of SC/ST K. Radhakrishnan has a lead of around 10,000 votes against sitting Congress MP Ramya Haridas.

While in seats like Attingal, Mavelikera, and Kasargod, it is a neck and neck competition between Congress and the Left.

However at Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi’s lead has crossed one lakh and at Idukki and Ernakulam, Congress candidates are racing ahead.