The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front will return to power in Kerala, as the alliance posted a 45-constituency lead over the Congress-led United Democratic Front. The CPI(M) won won 58 seats, Congress won 22, CPI had 22, and the Indian Union Muslim League clinched 18 constituencies. .

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s extensive campaign also seemed to have paid off. For the first time, BJP successfully opened its account, winning in one constituency. It was believed that the party would cut into a share of two alliance's votes, as it had brought in bigwigs including Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh to hold election rallies.

Polling for the Assembly elections on May 16 saw the state’s highest-ever turnout of 77.35%, of an electorate of 3.4 crore voters, who decided among 1,203 candidates contesting 140 constituencies.

For Chief Minister Oomen Chandy, the election came amid two controversies – scrutiny in connection with the solar scam, in which Chandy was implicated, and criticism for the way investigation was conducted into the brutal rape and murder of a Dalit woman.

Here's how the day unfolded:

2.56 pm: The CPI(M) leads with 51 seats, followed by Congress with 17, CPI with 15, and the Indian Union Muslim League with 14. The Left is ahead in 38 constituencies, according to latest figures.

2.44 pm: An elated LDF is distributing laddus in the party's color in the state.

2.22 pm: BJP workers celebrate party's entry in the state.

2.15 pm: Latest figures from the Election Commission show that the CPI(M) has won 47 constituencies, Congress won 15 constituencies, CPI won 14, and the Indian Union Muslim League clinched 11, according to the Election Commission's latest figures. So far, results have been declared for 104 seats. The LDF has a 38-seat lead over the UDF.

1.30 pm: "Results in Kerala and Assam, although disappointing for the Congress, are not unexpected," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said.

1.27 pm: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy expressed his disappointment with the indicative results. "It's an unexpected verdict, but we accept it. We expected a better result for UDF," he said.

1.20 pm: So far, the CPI(M) has won 32 constituencies, Congress and CPI won 11, and the Indian Union Muslim League clinched five, according to the Election Commission's latest figures.

1.15 pm: Data from the Election Commission shows that CPI(M) won 26.1% of the votes, Congress won 24%, and the BJP won 10.7% of them.

12.45 pm: So far, the CPI(M) has won 19 seats, Congress won seven, CPI has eight, and the Indian Union Muslim League has clinched three constituencies, according to the Election Commission's latest figures.

12.40 pm: Latest figures show that the Left is 40 seats ahead of the Congress-led UDF. The LDF had lost to the UDF by four seats in the last Assembly elections in 2011.

12.35 pm: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said the party "has to move beyond clichéd introspection to serious action", adding that the indicative results in Kerala highlighted the need for younger leaders.

12.32 pm: VS Sivakumar of the Congress party won the Thiruvananthapuram constituency with 50% of the votes. BJP candidate S Sreesanth won a measly 13% of them.

12.27 pm: Possible chief ministerial candidate Pinarayi Vijayan said it was a "remarkable win" for the LDF. "The Congress and UDF helped communal forces open account," he said.

12.15 pm: Oommen Chandy has won the Puthuppally seat with 53% of the votes. Opposition leader and former chief minister VS Achuthanandan won the Malampuzha constituency with 52% of the votes.

12.05 pm: The Election Commission has confirmed that the CPI(M) has won seven seats, and the CPI has won two. The Congress, Indian Union Muslim League, Communist Marxist Party Kerala State Committee, Kerala Congress (B) and an independent candidate have one constituency each.

12 pm: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, "I will not concede defeat just yet, but reasons for loss in Kerala could be factionalism", India Today reported.

11.55 am: Opposition leader and former chief minister of Kerala VS Achuthanandan said, “This is a vote against the corrupt [UDF] and those who failed to protect the dignity of women.” Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan are the two possible chief ministerial candidates of the LDF.

11.40 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his congratulations to the BJP for securing a lead in two constituencies in Kerala.

11.30 am: According to Times Now, the LDF leads with 90 seats. Officials results say the Left leads in 87 constituencies, while the UDF is ahead in 44. The CPI(M) has won six seats, whereas the CPI has one, according to figures from the Election Commission.

11.23 am: Members of the CPM politburo meet to discuss the figures announced to far. The party has won two seats so far, the Election Commission said.

11.10 am: Results are coming in from Kerala. The Election Commission has declared a win for CPI(M) in three constituencies. The Left holds a 35-seat lead over UDF.

10.38 am: The LDF leads in 85 constituencies and the UDF in 47, according to the latest official figures.

10.30 am: Current figures from the Election Commission show the CMP(M) leading in 51 constituencies, the Congress in 20, CPI in 18 and the Indian Union Muslim League, which is part of the UDF, ahead in 16 seats.

10.20 am: PC Chacko, former Congress MP from Kerala's Thrissur constituency, said it appears that the party will have to concede defeat in the state.

10.05 am: A party-wise breakup from the Election Commission shows that CPI(M) has 26.2% of the vote share, while Congress has 23.9% of it. The BJP, which contested 24 seats in the polls, had 12.2% of the vote share.

9.59 am: Pinarayi Vijayan, one of the Left's possible chief ministerial candidates, leads by more than 18,000 votes in Dharmada constituency. Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan leads in Malampuzha with 6,000 votes, according to Manorama.

9.40 am: Figures indicate a change in the power in the state. The Left has a 35-seat lead over UDF. Numbers for NDA remain unchanged at two seats.

9.34 am: UDF trails behind the LDF by votes. Kerala has seen power alternation between the alliance and the Left the last four decades. Oomen Chandy formed government after clinching a four-seat victory over LDF.

9.28 am: The Left has a 30-constituency lead in Kerala over UDF. The NDA continues to stand at two seats, while others have a lead in seven seats. Counting concluded in 139 constituencies in under 90 minutes.

9.20 am: Former chief minister VS Achuthanandan leads from Malampuzha constituency by 4,056 votes.

9.17 am: Counting has now crossed the halfway mark. The LDF leads with 82 seats, holding a 35-seat lead over the UDF. BJP+ continues to stand at 2.

9.15 am: The Left has the highest lead in the Thrissur constituency. CPI(M) candidate UR Pradeep leads with 14,085 votes.

9.10 am: Exit polls predicted a clear win for the Left. If the current trend is to be taken into account, the forecast was spot on.

9.05 am: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy leads by 2019 votes from Puthupally constituency.

9.03 am: The LDF gains further ground, climbing to a 29-seat lead over the UDF. NDA jumps to a lead in three seats.

8.58 am: The Left jumps to a significant 21-constituency lead over UDF. NDA's figures remain unchanged at two.

8.55 am: The News Minute places LDF at a seven-seat lead over UDF, with 58 seats. The BJP+ now leads in three seats, it said, quoting Manorama.

8.50 am: The Left gains a four-seat headway. The BJP finally opens its account with two seats – one each in the Kasargod and Palakkad constituencies.

8.40 am: According to NDTV, figures including postal votes place LDF at 28 and UDF at 15.

8.38 am: It's a neck-and-neck contest between the two alliances, with the UDF trailing behind by just one seat.

8.30 am: The difference widens, as the Left takes an 11-seat lead over the UDF.

8.22 am: LDF jumps to a six-seat lead over UDF. The BJP has yet to open shop.

8.20 am: The Left has a three-seat lead from Kannur.

8.10 am: The first figures are in. The LDF takes an early lead of one

8 am: Counting of votes has begun. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was seen at St John's Church in Thiruvananthapuram. BJP candidate S Sreesanth said he is hopeful the party will get 30 to 35 seats to mark its entry into Kerala.

Background:

The 13th state Assembly election held on April 13, 2011, was one of the closest ever contests in Kerala. The Left had lost to the UDF by a mere four-seat margin.