Kerala is witnessing a crucial political moment as the results of the 2025 local body elections are declared today, December 13. The counting of votes commenced at 8 AM across 244 centers and 14 district collectorates. The outcome of these elections is expected to significantly influence the political strategies of major parties as they gear up for the high-stakes 2026 Assembly elections.
The local body elections, held in two phases on December 9 and 11, saw a total voter turnout of 73.69%. In the first phase, which took place on December 9, the voter turnout was 70.91%. The second phase, held on December 11, recorded an impressive 76.08% turnout across seven districts. This widespread participation signals a deep engagement in grassroots governance among the citizens of Kerala.
Across both phases, a total of 12,931 wards across 604 local bodies were up for election. In the first phase, 36,620 candidates contested for 11,167 wards in 595 local bodies across Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam. During the second phase, 38,994 candidates were in the fray.
The elections are being held to elect representatives to various local bodies, including municipal corporations, municipalities, gram panchayats, block panchayats, and district panchayats.
The State Election Commission (SEC) has made arrangements for real-time updates through its TREND software, enabling voters and political parties to monitor leads and final results across all tiers of local governance.
The counting process began with postal ballots, followed by the counting of votes from Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Control units from each ward are shifted to the counting hall, where round-by-round tabulation takes place. To ensure transparency, the strong rooms were opened in the presence of the returning officer, assistant returning officer, observers, candidates, and election agents.
District-wise voter turnout figures show varied levels of participation across the state, with Wayanad recording the highest turnout at 78.3%, followed by Malappuram at 77.43% and Kozhikode at 77.26%. Thiruvananthapuram recorded the lowest at 67.47%. The gender-wise turnout reveals that 72.76% of male voters, 74.51% of female voters, and 40.42% of transgender voters exercised their right to vote.
The Local Self-Government Department has directed that all newly elected members and councilors must take the oath and assume charge on December 21 in local bodies where the term of the governing committee ends on December 20, 2025.
These local body elections are particularly significant as they provide a glimpse into the prevailing political sentiment in the state. The performance of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), United Democratic Front (UDF), and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will be closely watched to see if the LDF can maintain its stronghold or if the UDF and NDA can expand their ground. In the 2020 local elections, the LDF secured a decisive victory. The LDF won 514 grama panchayats, 108 block panchayats, 11 district panchayats, 35 municipalities and 5 corporations with a vote share of 40.2%. The UDF won 321 grama panchayats, 38 block panchayats, 1 district panchayat, 23 municipalities and 1 corporation with a vote share of 37.9%. The NDA won 19 grama panchayats with a vote share of 15%.
Political analysts suggest that a strong overall turnout typically favors candidates with a robust local presence and organizational support. As the counting progresses, all eyes are on the early trends to understand which way the political wind is blowing in Kerala.
