Kozhikode (Kerala) [India], March 25 : Kerala Congress In-charge Deepa Dasmunshi on Wednesday said that the United Democratic Front (UDF) is "not faceless," and has several leaders who can pose as the Chief Minister after victory in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Hitting out at Chief Minister and Left Democratic Front (LDF) leader Pinarayi Vijayan, Deepa Dasmunshi said that his hoardings do not depict the public's sentiment.
She said, "Now, it is very unfortunate to say this because we are seeing the face of CM Pinarayi Vijayan in big hoardings all over Kerala. So, I always say the hoardings will not speak, people's minds will speak. I do believe that the UDF is not faceless. We have many people who can lead as CM, but that is not a negative thing for us. Finally, the MLAs will decide who will be the next CM from UDF, not CM Pinarayi Vijayan."
Earlier today, Congress MP KC Venugopal expressed confidence in the UDF's victory, stating, "UDF is going to win hands down."
He emphasised that Kerala is in need of a "total change," specifically a "change of government."
" It is a clear triumph for the UDF. There will be a change of government in Keralam," he told reporters here today.
Venugopal also said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will formally kick off his campaign in the State today for the April 9 Assembly polls.
The polling for the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 9, with the counting of votes scheduled to take place on May 4. The tenure of the current assembly is scheduled to end on May 23.
The Congress-led UDF seek to unseat the incumbent Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led LDF and gain control of the 140-member assembly. The LDF-led government has governed the state for around a decade.
In the 2021 Kerala election, the incumbent LDF retained power with 99 seats, marking the first time since 1977 that a ruling alliance secured consecutive terms in the state. The UDF won 41 seats, while the NDA saw a decline in vote share and lost its only seat in the Assembly. Following the victory, Pinarayi Vijayan became the first Chief Minister of Kerala to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term in office.