Second Phase of Kerala Local Body Polls Records Over 60 Percent Turnout by Afternoon

Thiruvananthapuram: The second phase of polling in Kerala’s local body elections recorded over 60 percent voter turnout by 3 pm on Thursday, after eight hours of voting across seven districts.

Polling began at 7 am in 18,274 booths across Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod. Voters lined up from early morning, with participation from people of all age groups, including several political leaders.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan cast his vote in Kannur, accompanied by his family. Speaking to reporters, he expressed confidence that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) would secure a historic victory. He dismissed suggestions that the Sabarimala gold loss incident would affect the front’s prospects, saying the government had taken strict and exemplary action. “If any other party were in power, such steps would not have been taken,” he said.

Responding to KPCC President Sunny Joseph’s claim that the second sexual assault complaint against Congress MLA Rahul Mamkoottil was part of a conspiracy, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the remarks pointed to the presence of a “criminal gang of sexual perverts” within the Congress. He alleged that such individuals intimidated victims to prevent them from speaking out.

In the second phase, over 1.53 crore voters will elect representatives to 12,931 wards across 604 local bodies, including grama panchayats, block panchayats, district panchayats, municipalities and corporations. A total of 38,994 candidates are in the fray.

The first phase of polling, held on December 9 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam districts, recorded around 70 percent turnout. Results of both phases will be declared on December 13.