THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: This may well be the last time Kerala votes across 140 constituencies — a split-up that has defined the state’s electoral map for nearly five decades.
With delimitation expected after 2026, the next election may be fought on a new layout.
After Kerala was formed on November 1, 1956, its first assembly election was held in 1957 across 114 constituencies. A total of 126 members were elected, as 12 constituencies had two representatives each — a system meant to ensure representation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
That election saw the Communist Party form the government with the support of independents. It also marked the beginning of electoral politics in a newly formed state, where regions that once belonged to different administrative units voted together for the first time.
This began to change within a decade. By 1965, double-member constituencies were abolished and reserved seats were introduced instead. A fresh delimitation increased the number of constituencies from 114 to 133. The elections of 1967 and 1970 followed this pattern, as the state adjusted to a new electoral structure.
The most lasting change came in the mid-1970s, when a nationwide delimitation based on the 1971 Census came into effect. This raised the assembly strength from 133 to 140.
The 1977 election was the first to be held under this new structure — which has remained unchanged ever since.
Over the years, these 140 constituencies have come to define the state’s electoral system. Political careers have been built within them, and party strongholds have taken root. For voters, these boundaries have become familiar markers of identity and representation.
Now, that long-standing arrangement may be nearing a turning point. With the freeze on delimitation set to end after 2026, and a fresh census expected to guide the next exercise, there is a strong possibility that constituencies will be redrawn and the number of seats revised.
The process will take time and depend on national decisions, but change is widely anticipated.