Thiruvananthapuram: Soon after the State Election Commission issued the notification for next month's local body polls as many as 72 candidates filed their nomination papers across Kerala on Thursday.
On Thursday, the highest number of nominations to enter the fray was filed in Malappuram district - 12. Barring Kasargod, all other districts received nominations on the first day for filing nominations.
The count in other districts: Thiruvananthapuram - 4, Kollam - 8, Pathanamthitta - 8, Alappuzha - 6, Kottayam - 9, Idukki - 7, Ernakulam - 4, Thrissur - 6, Palakkad - 2, Kozhikode - 1, Malappuram - 12, Wayanad - 1 and Kannur - 4.
The nominations can be filed till November 19. The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on 20 and the last date of withdrawal is November 23.
The local bodies' poll will be held in three stages on December 8, 10 and 14 respectively. The counting of votes is on December 16.
Administrative committees take charge
With the expiry of the term of elected governing councils on Thursday, administrative committees have taken charge in a majority of local bodies across the state.
These committees consist of three members each including local body secretary. They are not empowered to take policy decisions, but oversee the day-to-day functions of the local self-government body.
COVID task too for interim panel
However, the administrative committees will have additional charge of COVID prevention activities.
The committees will have the additional charge of control and coordination of COVID Care Centres, social distancing initiatives including break the chain awareness and campaign, coordination of field testing work, community surveillance, coordination of reverse quarantine activities and resolving issues related to containment zones.
The other major responsibilities of the administrative committees include maintaining COVID expenses, disbursement of salary , pension, travel allowance, discharging responsibilities related to election expenses, payment of power, drinking water, telephone bills, fuel charge, payment of rent, disbursement of installments under the housing schemes, cremation of unidentified bodies, cost involved in maintenance of street lights, sanitation activities, drinking water schemes, repayment of loans and interest.
Since the term of 50 elected governing councils ends on November 30, the official committees will take charge at these places later.
25 lakh new enrolments in voters list
There has been a record increase in the number of voters this time. A total of 25 lakh people registered as voters during the three opportunities given to include names in the voters list in the run-up to the 2020 local body polls.
Notwithstanding the COVID pandemic, people made full use of the opportunity given for getting enrolled in the voters list. As many as 7.34 lakh people got enrolled in voters list during the five days granted for this purpose recently.
Over 2.06 lakh names were deleted from the voters list on account of deaths or change in address.
With this the total increase in the number of voters after the publication of supplementary voters list by all local bodies, stands at 5.27 lakh. The total number of voters have thus gone up to 2.76 crore.
The state has 13.11 lakh more female voters than the male voters.
Malappuram tops
The highest number of voters is in Malappuram district: 33.54 lakh. The district also has highest number of female, male and transgender voters – 17.25 lakh females, 16.29 lakh males and 49 transgenders respectively.
The lowest number of voters is in Wayanad district at 6.36 lakh which include 3.19 lakh women, 3.05 lakh men and 6 transgenders.
• Total number of voters in the voters list for the 2015 local body polls: 2,51,58,230.
• The number of voters in the list published in June 2020: 2,62,24,501
• Number in the revised list published in October: 2,71, 28,799
• Revised list published in November: 2,76,56, 579.
• Males: 1, 44,83,688; females: 1,31,72,629; and transgenders: 282.
Guidelines for allotment of guest houses
The General Administration Department has issued guidelines for allotting rooms in state government guest houses in the wake of a model code of conduct coming into being for local body polls in the state.
Full room rent will be charged from people having Cabinet rank, MPs, MLAs, former MPs, former MLAs, officials of local bodies, board, corporation officials. Rooms will be allotted for a maximum of 48 hours at one stretch.
Rooms should be allotted to politicians with Z-category security. Stay facilities should be granted judiciously to the ruling parties and other political parties as well. The candidates or political parties should refrain from using guest houses, conference halls or premises for holding press conferences, election campaigns or public meetings.
The offices of the candidates or party should not be set up near guest houses.
Rooms should not be allotted to political parties or their representatives 48 hours prior to the completion of voting.
The tourism vehicles allotted to Cabinet rank persons should be used only for official travel purposes.
Rooms should be allotted on first priority to the election officials discharging various responsibilities. Only official tariff should be charged from them.
