On Tuesday, seven southern districts—Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam—will participate in the initial phase of voting.
Voters in the remaining seven districts, which include Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kannur, Wayanad, and Kasaragod, will exercise their right to vote on December 11.
According to the Election Commission, 1,32,83,789 individuals are expected to cast their votes to determine the political fate of 75,632 candidates competing in 23,576 wards throughout the state across the two phases.
The results for all 1,199 local bodies are set to be announced on December 13. With only a day remaining for the first phase of elections, all three primary traditional alliances have expressed optimism about securing the highest number of seats in the three-tier local bodies throughout the state.
In contrast to previous LSGD elections, this time the state is witnessing an unparalleled level of competitive spirit among traditional political opponents, as this contest is seen as a significant battle ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections.
The ruling CPI (M)-led LDF emphasized the government’s development and welfare programs, while the Congress-led UDF primarily focused on alleged corruption, mismanagement, and extravagance attributed to the ruling Left coalition.
During the campaign, the BJP committed to enhancing development and infrastructure within various local bodies and assured the provision of central assistance for those initiatives.
The gold loss incident at the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple, which resulted in the arrest of senior CPI (M) leader and former president of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) A Padmakumar, cast a shadow over the ruling LDF throughout the campaign.
Simultaneously, the allegations of sexual assault and forced abortion against Pakakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, along with related police cases, presented unexpected challenges for the UDF. In a bid to mitigate damage ahead of the elections, Congress subsequently expelled the legislator from its primary membership.
The reported internal disputes among leaders and various local issues were concerning for the BJP in numerous areas during the campaigning period.
Meanwhile, State Election Commissioner A Shajahan instructed all political parties to ensure that the celebrations marking the conclusion of outdoor campaigning in the evening do not impede public movement or cause any inconvenience to citizens.
