Latest news with #StateDelimitationCommission
The Hindu
31-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Kerala's delimitation commission publishes draft notification on ward restructuring in block panchayats
The State Delimitation Commission has published the draft notification on ward delimitation in the 152 block panchayats in Kerala. This exercise forms part of the second phase of the ward delimitation in local bodies in the State. Complaints and opinions regarding the draft will be accepted till June 7. The notification contains the list of grama panchayat wards within a block, the population and maps. The draft can be accessed at the local self-government institutions, district collectorates and on the websites and The Local Self-Government department had published a notification revising the number of wards in the block panchayats on the basis of the 2011 Census. The reservation wards for women, and the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe categories also had been revised as per the notification. As per this decision, 187 new wards are being added to the blocks taking their number from 2080 to 2267. Complaints should be submitted to the commission secretary or the District Collector either in person or through registered post. Copies of documents, if any, accompanying the complaints should be self-attested.
The Hindu
29-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kerala's Delimitation Commission issues final notification on ward restructuring in municipalities and Corporations
The State Delimitation Commission has issued the final notification on the ward delimitation carried out in the 86 municipalities and six Corporations in Kerala. With this, the first phase of the ward delimitation exercise in local bodies is over. The decision was finalised by the Commission headed by A. Shajahan, who is also the State Election Commissioner. The Kerala government had earlier issued a notification revising the number of wards in the municipalities and Corporations. As per that decision, municipalities should have a minimum of 26 wards and a maximum of 53. In Corporations, it was fixed as, respectively, 56 and 101. Consequently, the number of wards in municipalities have risen by 128 and that in the six Corporations, by seven. The revision was based on the decennial census held in 2011. Now that phase 1 is over, the 941 grama panchayats in Kerala have a total of 17,337 wards, the 87 municipalities have 3241 wards and the six corporations, 421 wards. The final notification on the delimitation can be accessed on the State Printing department's e-gazette website The new voters lists where the electors are reassigned in line with the delimited wards will be prepared by the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). The State Election Commission, which is tasked with the conduct of elections to local bodies, has issued directions for arranging polling stations to match the changes in voter strength. Block panchayats are covered in phase II of the ward delimitation exercise. The draft notification related to this phase will be issued on May 30. Delimitation Commission members Rathan U. Kelkar, K. Biju, S. Harikishore and K. Vasuki were present at the meeting.
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Preparations under way for local body polls later this year
With ward delimitation in local bodies entering Phase II in Kerala, preparations are also under way for the crucial 2025 local body elections scheduled for later this year. The State Election Commission has kicked off training sessions for officials responsible for preparing the electoral rolls and conducting the elections. The Commission is proceeding with the idea of holding the polls during November-December as the five-year terms of 1,199 local bodies expires in December, sources said. As part of the preparations, the Commission will shortly launch the training sessions for the Electoral Registration Officers (ERO). In grama panchayats and municipalities, the local body secretaries are the EROs. In municipal corporations, the post is handled by additional secretaries. Earlier this, year, the Commission had completed the training of State-level resource persons. Once the State Delimitation Commission completes the delimitation of wards, the EROs will need to revise the electoral rolls and reposition the population in line with the changes necessitated by the ward delimitation and voter limits set by the Commission for polling stations. This rearrangement is likely to see an increase in the number of polling stations as the Commission has set a cap of 1,300 voters per station in the rural areas and 1,600 in the urban areas. While the number of local bodies remain unchanged, the wards in the three-tier panchayats, municipalities and corporations have increased from 21,900 to 23,612. The 2025 local body elections will be a keenly-watched one as they will be held after a comprehensive, Statewide ward delimitation, and ahead of the 2026 elections to the Kerala Legislative Assembly. In 2020, the elections were held to 1,199 local bodies (except the Mattannur municipality) in three phases on December 8, 10 and 14 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Delimitation Commission, headed by State Election Commissioner A. Shajahan, on Wednesday issued the final notification on the delimited wards in the grama panchayats. The delimitation exercise has entered Phase II in which the boundaries of the 152 block panchayats are being redrawn. The third and final phase will cover the district panchayats.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Draft notification on ward delimitation in Kerala block panchayats on May 27
The draft notification on ward delimitation in block panchayats will be issued on May 27, the State Delimitation Commission said. The number of wards in the 152 block panchayats in Kerala will go up from 2,080 to 2,267, the Commission headed by A. Shajahan said on Tuesday. The exercise is carried out in block panchayat wards on the basis of the number of grama panchayat wards and the population under the 2011 Census. Under a notification issued by the Director Local Self Government (Rural), block panchayats will have a minimum of 14 wards and a maximum of 24. Complaints and grievances regarding the draft notification will be accepted up to June 5. They can be lodged with the District Election Officer or with the Secretary, Delimitation Commission.
