Kerala's 2025 Local Body Polls: The Race for Symbols Officially Begins!

The drumbeat for Kerala's 2025 local body elections has begun, with the State Election Commission (SEC) formally issuing a crucial draft notification pertaining to the reservation, specification, and assignment of election symbols. This marks a pivotal step in the electoral process, setting the stage for political parties and independent candidates to define their visual identity ahead of the polls.

Published in the State Gazette and made accessible on the SEC's official website, this notification is not just a formality; it's a call to action.

Political parties, especially those recognized at the state level, are mandated to submit their applications for symbol reservation by June 28, 2024. While existing state parties generally retain their reserved symbols, the landscape is different for newer political entities – those registered after March 10, 2023 – or parties that have lost their state recognition status.

These groups must proactively apply to secure a symbol.

The notification clarifies the rules for symbol allocation. Recognized state parties are eligible to use their distinctive reserved symbols. However, for unrecognized parties and independent candidates, the process involves selecting from a list of 'free symbols' provided by the Commission.

The criteria for achieving and maintaining 'state party' status are stringent: a party must secure at least 6% of the total valid votes polled in either a general election to the Lok Sabha or the State Legislative Assembly, and additionally win at least two seats in the Assembly or one seat in the Lok Sabha.

Alternatively, a party can qualify if it garners 8% of the total valid votes without necessarily winning any seats.

Following this initial phase, the SEC plans to release a definitive list of recognized political parties and their corresponding reserved symbols by July 15. This final list will be crucial for all stakeholders as they gear up for campaigning.

The SEC is operating on an ambitious timeline, aiming to successfully conduct elections to all local self-government institutions by October 2025.

These elections are comprehensive, encompassing 941 grama panchayats, 152 block panchayats, 14 district panchayats, 87 municipalities, and 6 corporations – a vast electoral exercise covering a total of 21,865 wards or constituencies across the state. Furthermore, the Commission is committed to a full revision of the voter list by January 2025, using the 2020 voter list as its foundational document, ensuring an updated and accurate roster for the impending polls.