72,005 Candidates to Contest Kerala Local Body Elections

Thiruvananthapuram: The electoral picture is now clear, with 72,005 candidates set to contest the local body elections across Kerala, including 37,786 women, 34,218 men, and one transgender candidate. The State Election Commission has noted that minor discrepancies in the figures may still occur.

The final list covers 23,576 wards across 1,199 local bodies in the state, raising public anticipation. Monday at 3 PM was the deadline for withdrawal of candidature. Until the last moment, both the UDF and BJP attempted to persuade rebel candidates to step aside, but the final list shows that most such efforts were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, the LDF, having completed all election preparations well in advance, is far ahead in campaign activities. With the publication of the final candidate list, election symbols have now been officially allotted to all contestants.