Thiruvananthapuram, March 15: Kerala is set for its assembly elections on April 9, with a total of 2.71 crore voters across 140 constituencies. The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the election schedule on Sunday during a press conference in New Delhi.
The commission provided detailed information regarding nomination filing, scrutiny of papers, withdrawal of candidatures, voting, and counting dates. Following the announcement, the Model Code of Conduct has come into immediate effect across the state.
According to the office of Chief Electoral Officer Ratan U. Kelkar, the elections will be based on the final voter list prepared and released on February 20, following a special intensive revision. Kelkar has called a meeting with representatives of all political parties on Monday at 3 PM.
“We are fully prepared for the elections,” Kelkar stated. The updated list shows that the number of female voters exceeds that of male voters in the state. Out of the total voters, approximately 1.31 crore are men, while 1.38 crore are women, reflecting Kerala’s ongoing trend of higher female voter participation.
The final list also includes 2,23,558 expatriate voters who have registered as voters living abroad. Officials reported that the final voter list was released on February 20 after meetings with representatives from various political parties.
During the revision process, hearings and verifications were conducted for all 140 assembly seats. As a result, 53,229 names were removed from the draft voter list, including those of deceased voters, individuals who acquired citizenship in another country, and those who moved out of their assembly constituency.
Additionally, a significant number of new voters were added during the revision campaign. Between October 27 last year and January 30 this year, the commission approved 13,51,151 applications submitted via Form 6 for adding new names to the voter list. Furthermore, 1,59,111 applications submitted under Form 6A for registration as overseas voters were also approved.
In total, the Election Commission processed 24,28,639 applications related to adding and removing names during the revision, while 3,93,333 forms were accepted for updating existing voter information. With the election schedule now announced, political parties are expected to intensify their preparations for what is anticipated to be a highly competitive assembly election.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
