Kerala Local Body Elections: Phase-1 Polling Begins In 7 Districts, Second Phase on Dec 11

Thiruvananthapuram: Polling for the first phase of the Kerala local body elections began at 7 am on Tuesday across seven districts: Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam.

The second phase will be held on December 11 and counting of votes will take place on December 13. This year, the election process is being conducted in two phases: 11,168 wards in the first phase and 12,408 in the second.

Union Minister Suresh Gopi cast his vote for the Kerala local body elections in Thiruvananthapuram.

"The people will let us have the corporation to govern to their liking and work up their dreams for the city... We will set the track right...If all the promises that were made to people have gone in vain, there is a focus on my party and I think we are going to have it this time to the welfare and benefit of the people of Kerala through Thiruvananthapuram...," the union minister said.

VD Satheesan, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, also cast his vote for the Kerala local body elections at a polling booth in Kochi.

Of the 1,199 local bodies in Kerala where elections are being held this year in two phases, 595 local bodies with 11,168 wards, 8,310 wards in 471 grama panchayats, 1,090 wards in 75 block panchayats, 164 wards in seven district panchayats, 1,371 wards in 39 municipalities and 233 wards in three Corporations- Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kochi.

On Sunday, Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor appealed to voters in Kerala to participate actively in the upcoming local body elections, urging them to "support United Democratic Front (UDF) candidates" to bring meaningful change to governance at the grassroots level.

Sharing a post on X, Tharoor said, "My appeal to voters in Kerala to cast their votes in the local self-government elections. I am sacrificing my attendance record in Parliament by heading there myself tomorrow afternoon to do so. We will be choosing those whose work affects the essentials of daily life in our towns and villages; roads, water, sanitation, electricity and more. I urge voters to support @udfkerala candidates on 9th and 11th December to bring about meaningful change in local governance."

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