Polling for the first phase of the Kerala local body elections began at 7 am today across seven districts: Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam. 

Actor-turned-politician and Union Minister Suresh Gopi and his family were among the early voters at Sasthamangalam in Thiruvananthapuram. Speaking to the media after casting his vote, he said the BJP would sweep the corporation.

Meanwhile, polling was halted in three wards following the sudden demise of candidates. In Thiruvananthapuram, polling in the Vizhinjam ward was stopped after independent candidate Justin Francis died in a road accident. In Ernakulam, the death of UDF candidate CS Babu (59) prompted the State Election Commission to cancel polling at Ward 10 in the Onakoor division of the Pampakuda panchayat. In Malappuram, Vattath Haseena (52), the UDF candidate in the Muthedam panchayat, collapsed and died at her residence on Sunday night.

For Kerala, this phase marks a crucial political contest widely viewed as the semifinal before the 2026 Assembly elections. The second phase will be held on December 11, and counting of votes will take place on December 13.

Across the two-phase polls, voters in 1,199 local bodies will exercise their franchise. Mattannur Municipality is excluded as its council’s term runs until 2027. The State Election Commission has deployed 33,746 polling stations, including 28,127 in panchayats, 3,604 in municipalities and 2,015 in corporations.

Public campaigning in the phase-one districts ended at 6 pm on December 7 in line with Section 126(1) of the Representation of the People Act, which mandates a 48-hour silence period.

Results from 2020
In the previous local body elections:
• LDF secured 40.2 percent of the vote, winning 514 grama panchayats, 108 block panchayats, 11 district panchayats, 35 municipalities and 5 corporations.
• UDF won 37.9 percent, securing 321 grama panchayats and 23 municipalities.
• NDA gained 15 percent, winning 19 grama panchayats.