Kerala’s local body elections have been officially declared and will be held in two phases on December 9 and 11. Vote counting is scheduled for December 13, and the new councils are expected to assume office by December 21.

As the election heat spreads across 23,576 wards in 1,199 local bodies, political fronts are bracing for a semifinal-like contest ahead of the crucial assembly polls next year. Even though the local polls will conclude by mid-December, all three fronts will soon have to begin preparations for the assembly election, which is only a few months away.

Beyond local issues, it is certain that parties will raise state-level matters to engage voters. The LDF is expected to highlight development projects such as the Vizhinjam port, infrastructure initiatives including road dev

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