Stephen Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod (SP)

Kasargod, Nov 2: Polling for local bodies election began all over the state on Monday November 2.

People are exercising their franchise to elect their representatives for local bodies in seven districts of Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Idukki, Kozhikode Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargod are the districts where polling is being held. In other districts, local bodies election will be conducted on November 5.

In addition to gram panchayats, elections are also being held for block panchayats and zilla panchayats, people will be electing their representatives for municipalities too today. A total of 2,651 candidates are in the fray, and 9,52,163 voters will be exercising their right to vote. Among them, polling by first time voters is expected to be decisive in deciding the winners.

In the district, election is being held for 38 gram panchayats, six block panchayats, zilla panchayat and three municipalities. As many as 1,977 candidates for 38 village panchayats are in the fray, among whom 1,031 are women. Sixty candidates have stood for 17 zilla panchayat posts, and 260 candidates are in the fray for the block panchayat elections, out of whom 133 are women. As many as 354 candidatures are in the fray for three municipal elections, out of whom 180 are women.

For supervising law and order situation, 3030 personnel from different police forces have been deployed all over the district. As many as 30 personnel of Anti Naxal Force, and additional police forces from outside the district and Karnataka have been summoned. In polling booths considered as sensitive, para military forces have been stationed.