(MENAFN- IANS) Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 20 (IANS) As the nomination phase for the upcoming local body elections enters its final stretch, early indications suggest a fiercely contested three-way battle in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, with political observers predicting the possibility of a hung verdict.

Polling for the capital city will be held on December 9, as part of the first phase of Kerala's two-phase civic polls.

In the outgoing 100-member council, the CPI(M)-led LDF holds a comfortable majority with 52 seats, followed by the BJP-led NDA with 35, the Congress-led UDF with 10, and three Independents.

However, this time, the race appears far more open, with shifting voter loyalties, high-profile candidates, and controversies clouding traditional equations.

The UDF was the first to release its candidate list for the expanded 101-member Corporation, making a strong push by fielding two-time former legislator K.S. Sabarinadhan. His candidature has reportedly galvanised the Congress cadre in the capital.

Senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan has also taken charge of the campaign in Thiruvananthapuram, lending added weight to the front's efforts.

For the ruling LDF, governance fatigue and a recent spate of controversies -- including the Sabarimala gold plating investigation and confusion over signing and later withdrawing from the PM-SHRI scheme -- have dented its momentum.

Adding to its worries, three rebel candidates have surfaced within the CPI(M), an uncommon development for the tightly managed party.

The BJP, which had replaced the Congress as the principal challenger since 2015, is also grappling with internal turbulence.

Liquidity crises in cooperative banks linked to party leaders, a sitting councilor's suicide, and public remarks by veteran leader M.S. Kumar have exposed cracks in its organisational confidence.

The shock suicide of a BJP aspirant also unsettled the party, although leaders dismissed links, stating he belonged to the Shiv Sena.

In the 2020 polls, the LDF secured 40.2 per cent of the vote, the UDF 37.9 per cent, and the NDA 15 per cent. With margins tightening and all three fronts under pressure, Thiruvananthapuram could emerge as Kerala's most unpredictable civic battle.

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