Kerala local body polls: SEC to announce schedule today; 2.84 crore voters to participate
Thiruvananthapuram Kerala’s upcoming local body elections will see 2.84 crore voters choosing representatives to 941 grama panchayats, 152 block panchayats, 14 district panchayats, 86 municipalities, and six corporations, with polling likely to be held in two phases between December 5 and 15. The State Election Commission (SEC), which has completed all arrangements, is set to announce the schedule on Monday at noon, with vote counting expected by December 20. The final electoral roll, published on October 25, lists 1.33 crore men, 1.49 crore women, and 271 transgender persons. Malappuram district has the highest number of voters (35.7 lakh), while Wayanad has the lowest (6.4 lakh). The new councils are expected to assume office by December 21, when the current term ends. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) enters the polls from a position of dominance, controlling five of six corporations — Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Kollam — with the United Democratic Front (UDF) holding Kannur Corporation. The LDF also governs 571 grama panchayats, 113 block panchayats, and 11 district panchayats, while the UDF controls 351 grama panchayats, 38 blocks, and three districts (Ernakulam, Wayanad, and Malappuram). The NDA leads in 12 gram panchayats, and Independents in seven. Among 87 municipalities, the LDF governs 44, the UDF 41, and the BJP two — Palakkad and Pandalam. The election, viewed as a prelude to the 2026 Assembly polls, will test the LDF’s hold and the UDF’s revival prospects, while the BJP seeks to expand its urban footprint. With notification expected soon, nominations will close within a week, followed by about 14 days of campaigning for Kerala’s two-phase civic battle. This time, the Congress-led UDF sprang a surprise when it announced its lists to many wards, while the Left and the BJP are also nearing finalising their lists. The highlight of the Congress-led UDF is its announcement of two-time former Congress legislator K.S. Sabarinadhan as its Mayor candidate to the prestigious Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. For the BJP, on Sunday, it received a jolt when its second biggest ally, the BDJS, clearly expressed displeasure over candidate selection and threatened to contest on its own in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. BJP also sprang a surprise in its list announced on Sunday and included Kerala’s first woman DG of Police R. Sreelekha and Asian Games medalist and former Congress leader Padmini Thomas, both of whom recently joined the BJP and will contest prestigious seats in the state capital city. Meanwhile, the CPI(M) is yet to announce its list. Overall, the local body polls in Kerala are also seen as the semi-final to the Assembly elections to be held in April/May next year. –IANS sg/dpb