Overview
- Returning officers in Thiruvananthapuram and Alappuzha accepted the nominations on November 22, enabling participation in the upcoming local body polls.
- Amaya Prasad will contest from the Pothencode division and Arunima M. Kurup from the Vayalar division in district panchayats.
- This marks the first time in Kerala that transgender candidates have been cleared to run in divisions reserved for women.
- Amaya’s voter record listed “transgender,” but after an SEC advisory referencing the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 and a High Court clarification on authority, the returning officer approved her nomination.
- Arunima’s documents, including Voter ID and Aadhaar, identify her as female, and her nomination was cleared without objections; both are United Democratic Front nominees.