THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A voter turnout of 32.04% was recorded in the first five hours of polling in the first phase of the local body polls in seven districts of the state. Electors are choosing representatives to the three-tier panchayats in rural areas and municipalities and corporations in urban areas.

Voting is being held in 15,422 polling stations from 7 am to 6 pm. Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi and the state’s Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan were among the prominent voters who queued up to cast their votes in the first hour of polling.

Polling in the first phase is underway in seven districts, which include Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam. A total of 11,167 wards spread across 595 local bodies are facing the polls on Tuesday. This includes 8310 wards in 471 grama panchayats, 1090 wards in 75 block panchayats, 164 divisions in seven district panchayats, 1317 wards in 39 municipalities and 232 wards in three Corporations.

As many as 1.32 crore voters, including 62.50 lakh men, 70.32 lakh women and 126 transgender persons figure in the voters’ list in local bodies that are going to polls in the first phase. A total of 36,629 candidates are in the fray in the seven districts.