Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 10 (NationPress) The forthcoming local body elections in Kerala will engage approximately 2.84 crore voters in selecting representatives for 941 grama panchayats, 152 block panchayats, 14 district panchayats, 86 municipalities, and six corporations. Polling is anticipated to occur in two phases from December 5 to 15.

The State Election Commission (SEC) has finalized its preparations and will reveal the election schedule today at noon, with vote counting anticipated to conclude by December 20.

The finalized electoral roll, made public on October 25, comprises 1.33 crore men, 1.49 crore women, and 271 transgender individuals. Malappuram district boasts the largest voter base with 35.7 lakh, whereas Wayanad has the least at 6.4 lakh.

The newly elected councils are expected to take office by December 21, coinciding with the end of the current term.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) enters this electoral contest with considerable strength, governing five out of six corporations: Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Kollam, while the United Democratic Front (UDF) oversees Kannur Corporation.

In addition, the LDF controls 571 grama panchayats, 113 block panchayats, and 11 district panchayats, compared to the UDF’s 351 grama panchayats, 38 blocks, and three districts (Ernakulam, Wayanad, and Malappuram).

The NDA leads in 12 gram panchayats, while Independents hold seven.

Among the 87 municipalities, the LDF governs 44, the UDF 41, and the BJP controls two, namely Palakkad and Pandalam.

This election is perceived as a precursor to the 2026 Assembly polls, assessing the LDF's grip and the UDF's chances of resurgence, while the BJP aims to expand its urban presence.

With the notification expected imminently, nominations will close within a week, followed by around 14 days of campaigning for Kerala's two-phase civic contest.

This time, the Congress-led UDF surprised many by announcing its candidates for several wards, while the Left and the BJP are also finalizing their lists.

A notable highlight for the Congress-led UDF is the selection of K.S. Sabarinadhan, a former Congress legislator, as its candidate for Mayor of the esteemed Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.

In a surprising turn, the BJP faced discontent from its second largest ally, the BDJS, which expressed dissatisfaction with the candidate selection and threatened to run independently in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.

The BJP also made headlines by including R. Sreelekha, Kerala's first female DG of Police, and Padmini Thomas, an Asian Games medalist and former Congress member, in its list, both of whom recently joined the BJP and are set to contest significant seats in the state capital.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) has yet to release its candidate list. Overall, the local body elections in Kerala are viewed as a semi-final leading up to the Assembly elections scheduled for April/May next year.