Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 13
Candidates contesting the upcoming local body elections in Kerala can begin filing their nominations from Friday, according to the schedule announced by the State Election Commission on Thursday.
The polls will be held in two phases, with the first phase to be held on December 9 and the second phase on December 11, with the counting of votes to take place on December 13.
Nominations can be submitted between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day. The last date for filing nominations is November 21, while the scrutiny of papers will take place on November 22. Candidates will be allowed to withdraw nominations until November 24.
The security deposit for contesting varies by the level of the local body. Those contesting for gram panchayat seats must deposit Rs 2,000; for block panchayats and municipalities, Rs 4,000; and for district panchayats and corporations, Rs 5,000.
Candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes need to pay only half the prescribed amount.
To be eligible, a candidate must be at least 21 years old on the date of nomination.
Candidates contesting in reserved wards for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes must submit a community certificate issued by a competent authority.
Nomination papers must be submitted in the prescribed form and signed before the Returning Officer or an officer authorised by the Commission, after taking an oath or affirmation as per the election guidelines.
On the day of nomination, candidates are permitted to bring only three accompanying vehicles within a 100-metre radius of the Returning Officer’s office.
Additionally, no more than five persons, including the candidate, will be allowed to enter the Returning Officer’s room during the submission process.
The Election Commission has also released a detailed guideline outlining the eligibility and disqualification criteria for candidates contesting the local body elections.
According to the State Election Commission (SEC), polling will be held across 1,199 local bodies -- including 941 grama panchayats, 152 block panchayats, 14 district panchayats, 86 municipalities, and six corporations -- with counting on December 13.
The first phase will cover Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam, and the second will include Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod.
There are 2.84 crore voters, of whom 1.33 crore are men, 1.49 crore women, and 271 transgender persons.
Elections will take place in 23,576 wards through 33,746 polling stations, with 1.8 lakh officials and 70,000 police personnel deployed.
The local body polls, to be held in multiple phases, are expected to set the stage for a major political contest across Kerala, with all three fronts -- the LDF, UDF, and BJP—treating it as a precursor to the upcoming Assembly elections.
