With Kerala heading into Assembly polls on April 9, a statewide pre-poll survey indicates a fragmented political mood, with the ruling LDF drawing mixed ratings, the UDF largely seen as average, and the NDA facing pronounced negative sentiment.

The survey, conducted by Citizens Opinion Research and Evaluation (CORE) for Mathrubhumi, covered 31,706 respondents across all 140 constituencies between March 23 and 30, capturing early voter perceptions across regions.

Public ratings for the current administration

The survey asked respondents to rate the performance of the major fronts.

The current Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. Roughly 43.1% of participants gave the administration a positive rating, with 17.16% calling it "very good" and 25.94% rating it as "good". However, the government faces a sizeable group of critics. Approximately 25.74% of respondents described its performance as either "bad" or "very bad". A middle ground exists, with 31.17% of the sampled population viewing the government's work as "average".

Regional differences are also apparent in the data. In southern Kerala, the "very good" rating peaked at 21.40%, whereas in central Kerala it dipped to 12.74%.

The specific performance ratings for the LDF government are:

• Very good: 17.16%

• Good: 25.94%

• Average: 31.17%

• Bad: 18.88%

• Very bad: 6.86%

Opposition performance and the path ahead

The United Democratic Front (UDF) is currently viewed by many as an "average" performer. Nearly 42.07% of voters placed the UDF in the average category, while only 28.72% rated its performance as "good" or "very good". Negative sentiment towards the UDF stands at 29.22% (combined "bad" and "very bad").

The specific performance ratings for the UDF are:

• Very good: 7.10%

• Good: 21.62%

• Average: 42.07%

• Bad: 22.41%

• Very bad: 6.81%

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the BJP, faces a much steeper climb. Over 60% of respondents rated the NDA’s performance as "bad" or "very bad", while only 11.66% of the electorate gave it a positive rating. Its positive rating is notably higher in southern Kerala at 15.62% than in northern districts, where it stands at 8.33%.

The specific performance ratings for the NDA are:

• Very good: 4.09%

• Good: 7.57%

• Average: 27.96%

• Bad: 41.30%

• Very bad: 19.08%