Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 10 (IANS) — The Kerala State Election Commission (SEC) on Sunday announced that the local body elections will be held in two phases on December 9 and 11, with vote counting scheduled for December 13. The polls, seen as a key precursor to the 2026 Assembly elections, will determine the political pulse of the state.
SEC Chief A. Shahjahan said all preparations are complete and the Model Code of Conduct has come into force. The official notification will be issued on November 14, nominations will be accepted till November 21, and scrutiny will be held on November 22, with withdrawals allowed till November 24.
Voting on December 9 will cover Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam, while December 11 will see polling in the remaining seven districts. In total, 23,576 wards across 1,199 local bodies will go to the polls, with nearly 2.5 lakh personnel — including 1.8 lakh polling staff and 70,000 police — deployed.
With 2.83 crore voters registered, the elections are expected to test the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) stronghold, the UDF’s revival hopes, and the BJP’s expansion push. Counting will begin at 8 a.m. on December 13, and new councils will assume office by December 21.
