Kerala moved into the second phase of its 2025 local body elections on Thursday, with polling underway across seven districts under tight security arrangements. Voting began at 7 a.m. and will continue until 6 p.m., marking another major step in the state’s multi-stage civic election process.

More than 1.53 crore voters are eligible to elect representatives in 12,931 wards spread across 604 local bodies, ranging from grama panchayats to major municipal corporations. The first phase earlier this week saw a robust turnout, touching nearly 70 percent.

A massive field of 38,994 candidates is in the fray for this phase. Campaigning ended on a quiet note Wednesday evening, with candidates relying heavily on silent door-to-door outreach rather than public gatherings.

To facilitate smooth polling, the State Election Commission has set up 18,274 polling stations, of which 2,055 have been marked as sensitive due to past incidents or heightened political tension. Kannur district tops the chart with 1,025 sensitive booths, while Thrissur has the lowest with just 81.

Authorities conducted mock polling early in the day to verify systems and ensure flawless operation of EVMs and monitoring tools. By 9 a.m., initial turnout figures showed:

• Thrissur: 7.89%

• Palakkad: 7.95%

• Malappuram: 7.84%

• Kozhikode: 7.77%

• Wayanad: 8.06% (highest so far)

• Kannur: 7.67%

• Kasaragod: 7.67%

The districts voting in this phase include Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod, covering 470 grama panchayats, 77 block panchayats, seven district panchayats, 47 municipalities and three corporations.

To maintain law and order, security has been significantly ramped up. Additional police forces have been deployed, and live webcasting is being conducted at all sensitive stations. Control rooms at district collectorates and the State Election Commission headquarters are overseeing the process, with district police chiefs and city commissioners coordinating to prevent any disruptions.