Kerala local body polls in November

KOCHI: Poll commissioner Sasidharan Nair says election will be held in two days but in a single phase, putting an end to the uncertainty with regard to the schedule of the local body election in the state, the Election Commission has announced that the polls would be held in November, 2015.

The date of the polls would be announced later, the Election Commission said.

Addressing a press conference, K Sasidharan Nair, EC, said that the election will be held in two days but in a single phase. The election is likely to be held in the early half of November. The polls will be held in seven districts on one day and in remaining seven districts on the second day.

The draft voters list for the state is almost ready. The voter list with photographs will be published shortly, he added.

There are 2.49 crore voters in the state waiting to cast their votes in the local body polls.

The ruling Congress-led UDF had earlier demanded that election be held in the 28 new municipalities and the Kannur corporation and in another reorganised corporation. The UDF also wanted the elections to be held in the second half of November and the new administration to assume office on December 1.

The Left Front had wanted the EC to hold the elections in October as the newly-elected administration was supposed to have assumed office on No vember 1. The Kerala High Court said that the EC can take a decision on the schedule when the matter reached before it.

The EC has now decided to hold the polls in November after an all-party meeting.There are 5.04 lakh new voters and 725 NRI votes.