The Kerala State Election Commission on Monday announced that the local body elections for 2025 will be held in two phases with polling scheduled for December 9 and December 11. The counting of votes is set for December 13.
State Election Commissioner A Shajahan announced the schedule, confirming that the first phase will see voters in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam districts head to the polls. The second phase will cover Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts.
Elections will be held across 1,199 local bodies, excluding Mattannur, whose term has not yet ended. Following ward delimitation, the total number of wards stands at 23,612, an increase from 21,900 previously. Excluding Mattannur’s 36 wards, polling will occur in 23,576 wards.
There will be 33,746 polling stations across the state, and 2,84,30,761 voters are eligible to cast their votes, including 2,841 NRI voters, Shajahan confirmed. Voting will run from 7 am to 6 pm on both days.
Key dates
Final Voter List Publication: November 14
Nomination Submission Deadline: November 21
Scrutiny of Nominations: November 22
Last Date for Withdrawal of Candidature: November 24
The Election Commissioner also confirmed that the model code of conduct is now in force. A special committee has been appointed to monitor misinformation and fake news ahead of the polls. The elections will cover 941 grama panchayats, 152 block panchayats, 14 district panchayats, 86 municipalities, and six corporations. Seen as a semi-final ahead of the Assembly elections, the local body polls have turned into a high-stakes battle for the political fronts. The UDF has already announced its candidates and is taking the lead. The LDF aims to leverage the government’s development achievements as a campaigning tool. Meanwhile, the NDA, which is targeting at least eight Assembly seats, is working to secure maximum votes and seats in the local polls as its first step.
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