Kerala to hold local body bypolls in 38 wards on September 28; notification to be issued Thursday

State Election Commissioner N Seshadrinathan on Tuesday announced that byelections will be held on September 28 in 38 local self-government wards across the state. The official notification will be issued on Thursday.

The byelections will be held in 12 districts, with Kollam and Alappuzha being the only exceptions. The polls will cover two Corporation wards in Ernakulam and Kozhikode, three Municipality wards in Thrissur, Palakkad and Kannur, three District Panchayat wards in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Palakkad, seven Block Panchayat wards and 23 Grama Panchayat wards.

Nomination papers can be submitted from September 3 to 10, followed by scrutiny on September 11. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is September 14. Polling will be held on September 28 from 7 am to 6 pm, while counting of votes will begin at 10 am on September 29.

According to the SEC, the Model Code of Conduct came into effect on Tuesday. It applies to all wards within Grama Panchayats that fall under the District and Block Panchayat constituencies where the byelections are being held. In Grama Panchayats, however, the code applies to the entire panchayat area, while in municipalities, it is limited to the respective wards.

The byelections will be conducted based on the revised voter list published on August 19. The list is available at the respective local self-government institutions, Village and Taluk offices, and on the State Election Commission's website.

The final date for completing all election procedures is October 1. Candidates must submit their election expenditure accounts by October 29.

The polls come as a crucial test for both fronts in the state, amid differing views on the shifting political mood. The Left is looking to project itself as a cohesive unit following its crushing defeat in the Assembly elections held earlier this year and the 2025 local body polls. Many, both within and outside the party, attribute the setbacks to growing discontent with the CPM's state leadership.

However, the party has denied these claims, with Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan recently calling on voters to 'correct their mistake' and return to the party.

Meanwhile, with more than 100 days having passed since the UDF government led by Chief Minister VD Satheesan came to power, the elections will offer an indication of the public mood towards the government.