"Huge queues show people want change": K Muraleedharan optimistic about UDF comeback in Kerala local body polls

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], December 9 (ANI): Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan on Tuesday expressed confidence in the United Democratic Front's (UDF) prospects in the Kerala local body elections, citing the long queues outside polling stations as a sign of voter enthusiasm.
Speaking to ANI, Muraleedharan said, "In the last Lok Sabha election, there was no queue here, but this time there is a huge one, so they want a change. We hope we will get a minimum of 55 seats in the corporation. In other local bodies also, this time, UDF will make a comeback."
Voting for the local body elections in Kerala began this morning in seven districts.
According to official data for the local body polls, as of 9 am, the voting percentage for the Thiruvananthapuram corporation was at 7.7 per cent, followed by 7.9 per cent in Kollam, and 9 per cent in Kochi.
The districts that are holding the first polls include Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam. The local body polls are being held in these districts across the three-tier panchayat system, including gram and block panchayats, municipalities, and corporations.
"It's a peaceful polling process that has been going on at every polling station. The first phase of polling is being held in 7 districts. The state election commission has made all the arrangements for a peaceful polling process. We are hopeful for a good voter turnout," SEC Shajahan told ANI.
The SEC said polling in Vizhinjam, under the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, had to be discontinued after a candidate died just before the polls began.
"In Vizhinjam, a municipality in Trivandrum, polling was to be done in 10 polling stations, but due to the demise of a candidate right before the commencement of polls, we had to discontinue the polling process there. The commission will freshly notify the election, and polling will be held accordingly," he said.
Polling for the first phase of the Kerala Local Body Elections began at 7 am today.
Elections to 1,199 of the total 1,200 local bodies in Kerala is being held on December 9 and 11, with counting scheduled to be held on December 13.
Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, Union Minister George Kurian, and Kerala LoP VD Satheesan were among those who cast their votes early this morning.
The State Election Commissioner on Sunday said that 75,643 candidates were contesting for 23,576 wards across the state. The election process is being conducted in two phases: 11,168 wards in the first phase and 12,408 in the second.
In the previous local body elections, the LDF emerged dominant, winning 514 gram panchayats, 108 block panchayats, 11 district panchayats, 35 municipalities, and five corporations. The UDF won 321 gram panchayats and 23 municipalities, while the NDA won 19 gram panchayats. (ANI)