38 divisions in Kochi Corporation reserved for women after fresh draw of lots

A fresh draw of lots was conducted to determine the divisions reserved for women in the Kochi Corporation for the upcoming local body polls after the initial draw was questioned in the High Court for erroneously reserving a division that had already been reserved for women in the 2020 elections.

Devankulangara—now Division 38 and previously Division 32 before delimitation—was mistakenly reserved for women in the initial draw for the second successive election. According to statutory provisions and the State Election Commission’s guidelines, any division reserved for women in the previous election should be excluded and included in the general category for the current election.

K.A. Vijayakumar, a former councillor who represented the division from 2015 to 2020, filed a petition in the Kerala High Court challenging the reservation and seeking the division’s exclusion from the list of seats reserved for women. Devankulangara was among the 43 divisions shortlisted to determine the 38 divisions to be reserved for women. Following delimitation, the number of divisions in the Corporation went up from 74 to 76, resulting in two additional seats reserved for women.

Objections were also raised regarding the reservation of divisions 56 and 66. In addition to Devankulangara, the newly created Stadium Division (Division 34) was also dropped from the list of 43 divisions selected for the draw to determine reserved divisions. Interestingly, Thammanam Division (41), which was reserved for Scheduled Caste woman in the initial draw, remained in the same category in the second draw as well.

Thazhuppu (57) and Konthuruthy (52) were the other two divisions reserved for Scheduled Caste women. The divisions reserved for women are: Fort Kochi (1), Kalvathy (2), Eeraveli (3), Cheralayi (5), Mattancherry (6), Chakkamadom (7), Karuvelippady (8), Gandhi Nagar (12), Kathrikadavu (13), Pottakkuzhi (20), Vaduthala West (24), Elamakkara North (26), Kunnumpuram (28), Ponekkara (29), Changampuzha (31), Karanakodam (35), Puthiya Road (36), Padivattom (37), Chakkaraparambu (39), Chalikkavattom (40), Elamkulam (42), Ponnurunni East (45), and Thevara (53).