Kerala Local Body Election Results 2020: Counting of votes for 21,893 wards to begin at 8 am today

The Kerala State Election Commission will begin counting of votes today at 8 am for 21,893 wards in 1,200 local bodies which went to polls in three phases. Seen as a pointer to the upcoming Assembly elections, the local body polls have generated a lot of interest both in Kerala as well as outside the state. While the ruling LDF is hoping for an “iconic victory” banking on the welfare measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Congress-headed United Democratic Front (UDF) is hoping to corner the LDF over corruption cases most notably involving the Chief Minister’s Office in a gold smuggling case. However, the recent vigilance cases and arrest of UDF leaders in corruption cases may have dented the party's campaign. As for the NDA, the election would show whether or not the various development programmes initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre have helped the party find a place in the bipolar polity of led by LDF and UDF for decades. Polling for the third and final phase of the local body polls concluded on 14 December with an overall turnout of 78.62 percent. As per details issued by the SEC, Kozhikode district recorded the highest turnout with 78.98 percent in the final phase, followed by Malappuram (78.86 percent) and Kannur (77.54 percent). Kasaragod recorded the lowest voter turnout with 77.14 percent. Polls were held in the four districts to elect representatives in 6,867 wards in 354 local bodies, including two Corporations and 31 municipalities. However, election was postponed in two wards — Thillankeryward in Kannur district panchayat and Thathoor division in Mavoor Panchayat of Kozhikode — due to the death of candidates. The second phase of the election held on 10 December for two corporations, 36 municipalities, 350 village panchayats, 58 block panchayats and five district panchayats in Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Wayanad districts. The second phase included a total of 8,116 wards in 451 local bodies in the second phase. The overall polling in the second phase was 76.78 percent with the highest voter turnout being recorded in Wayanad district (79.39 percent) and the lowest in Kottayam with 73.89 percent. Ernakulam reported 77.02 percent voter turnout, Thrissur 74.92 percent, Palakkad 77.83 percent. The two corporations — Kochi and Thrissur — recorded 61.90 percent and 63.62 percent, respectively. The first phase of polling concluded on 8 December during which voters cast ballots to elect representatives for 6,910 wards in 395 local bodies in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Idukki districts. The first phase for the southernmost districts recorded a turnout of 73.12 percent. Two persons had died after casting their votes in the first phase of the polls on Tuesday. With inputs from PTI