Kannur (Kerala) | Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is trailing in Dharmadom constituency, where Congress candidate V P Abdul Rasheed has taken the lead, according to TV reports.

Vijayan, the face of the LDF in the Assembly election, is seeking a mandate from Dharmadom for the third time.

According to TV reports, Vijayan trailed by over 700 votes in the initial rounds of counting of EVMs.

The development would be considered significant as Dharmadom is regarded as an LDF stronghold.

However, the CPI(M) expects Vijayan to gain ground as counting progresses further.

In the 2021 Assembly polls, Vijayan had won from Dharmadom with a margin of over 45,000 votes.

As per initial trends, the UDF appears to have the upper hand across Kerala, with several key LDF sitting MLAs and ministers trailing in different constituencies.