Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant move towards inclusive governance, the Kerala Local Self-Government Department has issued an official order outlining the reservation of local body chairperson posts for women and members of the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities ahead of the upcoming local body elections scheduled later this year.
As per the latest government notification, leadership roles in three municipal corporations—Kochi, Kannur, and Thrissur—will be reserved for women as part of a rotation policy. Alongside this, 44 municipalities, 471 grama panchayats, seven district panchayats, and 77 block panchayats will be headed by women in the next term, ensuring a robust female representation at the grassroots level.
In terms of social justice, out of the six municipal chairperson posts reserved for SC candidates, three are allocated specifically for SC women. One municipal chairperson post will be reserved for the ST category. Similarly, 46 out of 92 SC-reserved grama panchayat president posts and 8 out of 16 ST-reserved posts will be earmarked for women from these communities. Among block panchayats, 8 out of the 15 SC-reserved president posts will go to SC women.
Rise in Number of Wards After Delimitation
This development follows the recent delimitation exercise carried out in 2024, which led to an increase of 1,577 wards across the three-tier panchayat system. The number of wards in grama, block, and district panchayats has risen from 18,373 to 19,950.
Specifically:
Grama panchayat wards increased by 1,375, from 15,962 to 17,337.
Block panchayat wards rose by 187, from 2,080 to 2,267.
District panchayat wards saw a modest increase of 15, from 331 to 346.
Reservation Breakdown by Wards
Of the 17,337 grama panchayat wards:
8,852 are reserved for women.
1,759 are reserved for SC communities, with 783 specifically for SC women.
289 wards are reserved for ST communities, with 121 earmarked for ST women.
7,341 wards are general category seats.
Of the 2,267 block panchayat wards:
1,152 are reserved for women.
228 for SC communities, including 82 for SC women.
36 for ST communities, with 12 reserved for ST women.
This comprehensive reservation framework is a part of Kerala’s ongoing efforts to ensure participatory democracy and social equity by empowering women and marginalised communities in governance.
