Thrissur: With the local body elections scheduled to be held in two phases, separated by only a single day, police officers in Kerala are gearing up for an intense period of duty. Although a final decision on election deployment has not yet been confirmed, indications suggest that the majority of officers will be required to maintain law and order during both phases.

Currently, a large contingent of battalion police officers is deployed at Sabarimala. Unlike previous years, around 3,500 officers are stationed there for the first phase, and a similar deployment is expected in the subsequent phase.

Given that most officers will be engaged at Sabarimala, those assigned to election duty will face a doubled workload. Police sources have expressed concern that the situation may affect even emergency leave applications.

Election-related duties for the police are set to begin on 7 December, following the end of the campaign. On 8 December, officers will be assigned to polling material distribution centres and booths. They will only be able to rest on 9 December once polling concludes and all voting machines have been accounted for. The second phase of polling duties will commence on 10 December, again at distribution centres and polling stations. As the return of machines after polling on 11 December is expected to extend late into the night, officers’ next opportunity for rest is likely to be 12 December.

Meanwhile, applications have been invited from members of the public, including NCC cadets, to serve as temporary police during the elections. However, as temporary personnel can only be appointed in a fixed ratio, only a limited number of applicants are likely to be accepted.