Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is preparing for its local body elections, with polling scheduled on December 9 and 11 and counting on December 13, State Election Commissioner A Shajahan confirmed on Sunday. The announcement comes as the state finalises arrangements for one of the biggest democratic exercises in Kerala’s local governance system.

According to Shajahan, 75,643 candidates are contesting across 23,576 wards in two phases. The first phase will cover 11,168 wards, while 12,408 wards will go to the polls in the second. He said that all polling stations are ready, and the distribution of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and election materials will begin on Monday.

“The polling will happen on December 9 and December 11, and counting will happen on December 13. We have a total of 11,168 wards in the first phase and 12,408 wards in the second phase going for poll... 75,643 candidates are contesting this time for the local body wards... All the preparations have been made, and all the polling stations have been arranged,” Shajahan said.

The Commissioner reiterated that the Anti-Defection Act would be strictly enforced during and after the elections. Candidates found guilty of defection will face disqualification from the respective local body and a six-year ban on contesting future elections.

“We have the system of the Anti-Defection Act... If any defection is proved, the candidate will be disqualified from their membership of the respective local body, and they cannot contest elections for the next 6 years...,” he cautioned.

Elections will be conducted in 1,199 of the 1,200 local bodies in Kerala, marking a major step in the state’s decentralised governance.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) schedule in view of the upcoming polls. The voter enumeration deadline has been extended to December 18, from the earlier cut-off of December 11.

The draft electoral roll will now be released on December 23, with the window for filing claims and objections open until January 22, 2026. The final electoral roll will be published on February 21, 2026, replacing the previously announced date of February 14, 2026.

PTI inputs