The second phase of Kerala’s local body elections began today with an impressive voter turnout across northern districts. Polling, which commenced at 7 a.m. and will continue until 6 p.m., saw long queues forming early at many booths. Elections are underway in 12,391 wards across 604 local bodies in Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod. Over 1.53 crore voters, including 3,293 expatriates, are eligible to cast their ballots, choosing from 38,994 candidates. Authorities have set up 18,274 polling stations, of which 2,055 have been marked as sensitive, prompting enhanced security and live webcasting. In several wards across Kannur, Malappuram, and Kasaragod, polling will not be held as candidates were elected unopposed, while one ward in Malappuram has postponed voting due to a candidate’s death. The State Election Commission is closely monitoring the entire process, and counting of votes is scheduled for December 13.
