Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Election Commission on Monday announced that the 2025 local body elections will be held in two phases, with polling on December 9 and December 11. Counting of votes is scheduled for December 13.

State Election Commissioner A. Shajahan announced the schedule, stating that the first phase will see voters in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam districts head to the polls. The second phase will cover Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts.

Elections will be held across 1,199 local bodies, excluding Mattannur, whose term has not yet ended. Following ward delimitation, the total number of wards stands at 23,612, up from 21,900 previously. Excluding Mattannur’s 36 wards, polling will occur in 23,576 wards.

There will be 33,746 polling stations across the state, and 2,84,30,761 voters are eligible to cast their votes, including 2,841 NRI voters, Shajahan said.

Key dates for nominations and withdrawals

  • Nomination submission deadline: November 21
  • Scrutiny of nominations: November 22
  • Last date for withdrawal of candidature: November 24

The Election Commissioner also confirmed the model code of conduct is now in force. A special committee has been appointed to monitor misinformation and fake news ahead of the polls. The final voter list will be published on November 14. Voting will run from 7 am to 6 pm on both days.

Political stakes ahead of the polls

The elections cover 941 grama panchayats, 152 block panchayats, 14 district panchayats, 86 municipalities, and six corporations. Seen as a semi-final to the Assembly elections, these polls are a crucial test for Kerala’s political fronts.

The UDF has announced candidates early and is taking the lead, while the LDF is campaigning on government development achievements. The NDA is aiming to secure at least eight Assembly seats by maximising its local body presence.

Currently, the LDF governs five of six corporations – Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Kollam – while the UDF controls Kannur. Among panchayats, the LDF holds 571 gram, 113 block, and 11 district panchayats. The UDF controls 351 gram, 38 block, and three district panchayats. The NDA leads in 12 gram panchayats, with Independents in seven.

Municipalities are split with the LDF controlling 44, the UDF 41, and the BJP two – Palakkad and Pandalam.

The UDF has announced several ward-level candidates, including K.S. Sabarinadhan as its Mayoral nominee for Thiruvananthapuram. The BJP, which fielded former DGP R. Sreelekha and ex-Asian Games medalist Padmini Thomas, faced dissent from ally BDJS over seat-sharing. The CPI(M) is yet to release its candidate list.

State BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said: “Successive governments of Left and the Congress are to be seen by all, and now this is the chance for people to vote for a change, and in the coming days the entire list of our front will be announced.”

Left convenor T.P. Ramakrishnan added they are “fully geared for the polls, which will set the stage for a third successive Left government to rule the state.”

Congress president Sunny Joseph said the party is “all set to triumph in the semi-finals.”