Kerala State Election Commission Announces Bypolls for 38 Local Body Wards on September 28

The Kerala State Election Commission has announced bypolls for 38 local body wards across 12 districts, scheduled for September 28. The election notification will be issued on September 3, with the model code of conduct coming into effect immediately.

The State Election Commission of Kerala has announced that bypolls will be held for 38 local body wards across 12 districts on September 28. According to the official statement released on Tuesday, the election notification is scheduled to be issued on September 3.

Candidates wishing to contest the bypolls can file their nominations starting from September 3 until September 10. The scrutiny of nominations will take place on September 11, and the final date for the withdrawal of candidature has been set for September 14.

Polling will be conducted on September 28 from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. The counting of votes will commence the following day, September 29, at 10:00 am. The entire election process is slated to be completed by October 1, and successful candidates are required to submit their election expenditure accounts by October 29.

The State Election Commission confirmed that the model code of conduct came into force on Tuesday, September 1. The code applies to all wards of gram panchayats falling within the district and block panchayat constituencies where the bypolls are taking place. Specifically, the code covers the entire panchayat area in gram panchayats and applies to respective wards in municipalities.

The bypolls are based on the electoral rolls published on August 19. These updated rolls are accessible at respective local bodies, village and taluk offices, as well as on the official website of the State Election Commission.

The upcoming bypolls will cover a total of 38 wards, including two corporation wards in Ernakulam and Kozhikode, three municipality wards in Thrissur, Palakkad, and Kannur, three district panchayat wards in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, and Palakkad, seven block panchayat wards, and 23 gram panchayat wards spread across 12 districts. The official statement noted that no bypolls will be held in the districts of Kollam and Alappuzha.

"Local body elections and administrative cycles directly impact regional business environments, regulatory compliance, and local economic planning. For businesses operating locally in Kerala, understanding municipal updates and code of conduct timelines is essential for smooth operational alignment during election periods." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes