Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 10
Kerala’s local body elections -- seen as a “semi-final” ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls -- will be held in two phases on December 9 and 11, with counting to take place on December 13.

‘According to the State Election Commission (SEC), A.Shahjahan, all arrangements have been completed and the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect across the State.

The election notification will be published on November 14, followed by nomination filing on November 21, scrutiny on November 22, and withdrawal on November 24.

Counting of votes will be held on December 13 from 8 a.m., and all election processes will conclude by December 18, allowing the new councils to assume office by December 21, when the current term ends.

Polling on December 9 will cover Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam, while the second phase on December 11 will include Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts.

Elections will be held in 1,199 local bodies, excluding Mattannur Municipality, where polling will be conducted later.

In all, 23,576 wards will go to the polls, with 33,746 polling stations, 1,37,922 ballot units, and 50,691 control units readied.

“Around 1.8 lakh officials will be deployed for polling duties, supported by 70,000 police personnel, taking the total strength of staff to nearly 2.5 lakh,” said Shahjahan.

The final voters’ list, published on October 25, includes 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 elections are seen as a crucial prelude to the 2026 Assembly polls, testing the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) stronghold and the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) revival prospects, while the BJP seeks to expand its urban base.

The LDF currently governs five of six corporations -- Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Kollam -- with the UDF controlling Kannur.

The LDF holds 571 gram panchayats, 113 block panchayats, and 11 district panchayats, while the UDF governs 351 grama panchayats, 38 block panchayats, and three district panchayats.

The NDA leads in 12 gram panchayats, and Independents in seven.

Among municipalities, the LDF controls 44, the UDF 41, and the BJP two -- Palakkad and Pandalam.

The UDF has announced several ward-level candidates early, including K.S. Sabarinadhan as its Mayoral nominee for Thiruvananthapuram.

The BJP, which fielded former DGP R. Sreelekha and ex-Asian Games medalist Padmini Thomas, faced dissent from ally BDJS over seat-sharing.

The CPI(M) is yet to announce its list.

State BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the polls offer voters an opportunity to “vote for change for a new Kerala”.

“ Successive governments of Left and the Congress are to be seen by all, and now this is the chance for people to vote for a change, and in the coming days the entire list of our front will be announced,” said Chandrasekhar.

The Left convenor, T.P. Ramakrishnan, said they are fully geared for the polls, which will set the stage for a third successive Left government to rule the state.

Meanwhile, Congress president Sunny Joseph said they are all set to triumph in the semi-finals.

Kerala local body polls on Dec 9 and 11, counting on Dec 13