Counting of votes for Kerala’s local body elections began at 8 a.m. on Saturday, December 13, 2025. Early trends from the State Election Commission at 12:22 p.m. show a close fight. The United Democratic Front (UDF) leads in 456 grama panchayats. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) is ahead in 372. UDF also leads in 54 municipalities, 7 district panchayats, and 4 corporations. LDF leads in 28 municipalities, 7 district panchayats, and 1 corporation. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has a lead in 27 grama panchayats, 2 municipalities, and 1 corporation. Voter turnout was strong, with 73.6% overall participation. Women voters turned out more than men, with 74.5% versus 72.7%. Transgender voter turnout was lower at 40.4%. Wayanad district recorded the highest turnout at 78.2%, while Pathanamthitta was the lowest at 66.7%. The election saw more women candidates than before. While male candidates decreased, women candidates grew, helped by Kerala’s 50% reservation rule. Notably, 42% of women candidates belong to Kudumbashree, the state’s poverty eradication program for women. This group is active at grassroots levels in a three-tier network. Among women candidates, 12,347 are members of Kudumbashree Neighbourhood Groups. The state recently completed a three-phase delimitation process from October 2024 to August 2025. This process adjusted the number of wards for the elections. These elections gauge local political strength in Kerala ahead of bigger battles.