Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 8 (UNI) Voting for first phase of the three-phase local body election in five districts of Kerala, began at 0700 hours on Tuesday, amid tight security and COVID-19 guidelines in place.
The polling will end at 1800 hours.
Strict COVID guidelines including use of sanitizers and gloves, mandatory wearing of masks, keeping proper distance while queueing up in front of polling stations are being followed.
Polling began in 11,225 booths in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Idukki districts.
State Election Commission (SEC) sources said 88,26,873 lakh people -- 41,58,395 male voters, 46,68,267 female voters, 150 Pravasis and 61 transgenders -- were expected to exercise their franchise.
The polling is being held to 6,910 wards in 395 local bodies. In the first phase, 42,530 new voters are expected to cast their votes. The Commission has deployed 56,122 officials for election duty.
The fate of 24,584 candidates will be decided in the first phase -- 6465 candidates in Thiruvananthapuram, 5723 in Kollam, 5463 in Alappuzha, 3699 in Pathanamthitta and 3234 in Idukki.
The second and third phase of polling will be held on December 10 and 14 respectively.
The term of elected representatives to 1200 local bodies, except Mattannur Municipality, had ended on November 11. However, the poll schedule was postponed to December due to COVID pandemic.
In the second phase on December 10, polling will be held in Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Wayanad districts.
In the third phase on December 14, polling will be held in Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts.
UNI DS CS 0826