On Tuesday, Thiruvananthapuram will host the first stage of Kerala’s local body elections. The slate sees 36,630 aspirants running, including 17,056 men, 19,573 women and one transgender candidate, underscoring the significant role women play in field‑level democracy.
Of those contestants, 27,141 seek positions in gram panchayats, 3,366 in block panchayats, 594 in district panchayats, 4,480 in municipal wards and 1,049 in corporation wards.
Polling will run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. across 595 local‑self‑government units spread over Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam districts. The exercise will determine representatives for 11,168 wards and marks the opening act in a two‑phase civic election that is closely observed.
The first phase covers 471 gram panchayats, 75 block panchayats, seven district panchayats, 39 municipalities and three municipal corporations.
Official figures show that 13,283,789 voters are eligible to cast ballots today: 6.25 million men, 7.03 million women and 126 transgender voters. The rolls also list 456 migrant voters. Panchayat areas house the largest share with over 10.14 million voters, followed by 1.55 million in municipalities and 1.57 million in corporations.
To accommodate the turnout, the Election Commission has prepared 15,432 polling booths, including 480 deemed sensitive. Control and ballot units have been set up in parallel: 15,432 control units and 40,261 ballot units, with an additional 2,516 control units and 6,501 ballot units kept on standby for contingencies.
State Election Commissioner A. Shahjahan has urged political parties and candidates to collaborate with officials to ensure the poll runs smoothly and transparently. “An environment must be ensured in which voters can cast their votes freely and fearlessly,” said Shahjahan.
The second voting phase is slated for Thursday, while vote counting and results announcement are scheduled for December 13. With the state’s assembly elections on the horizon, these civic contests are seen as a crucial barometer of grassroots support for the major political fronts.
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