The elections to the local bodies in the State will be held in two phases in December, the State Election Commission said on Tuesday.
The dates have not been finalised. But it has been decided to schedule the elections so as to enable the local body governing councils to assume office on December 11, State Election Commissioner V. Bhaskaran said.
Seven districts each will go to polls in the two phases of the elections.
Earlier, an all-party meeting had decided to put off the elections by one month in view of the spike in COVID-19 cases. The arrangements for the elections are in progress, Mr. Bhaskaran said. The draw of lots for the allocation of reservation wards has been completed.
Going to the polls in December are 15,962 wards in 941 grama panchayats; 2,080 wards in 152 block panchayats; 331 wards in 14 district panchayats; 3,078 wards in 86 municipalities; and 414 wards in the six municipal corporations.
The electorate is 2.71-crore strong, and consists of 1.41 crore women, 1.3 crore men, and 282 transgender voters.