Thiruvananthapuram: The newly elected members of Kerala’s local self-governing bodies will take oath of office on Sunday, December 21, officially marking the formation of new councils across the state. The state government has issued a notification confirming the schedule, coming into effect as the term of the current councils expires on December 20.
Traditionally, meetings of panchayats and municipalities are not permitted on public holidays under the Kerala Panchayat Raj and Municipal Acts. However, since December 21 falls on a Sunday, the government recently amended the rules to ensure that the first meeting after the election can be conducted even on a holiday. This move prevents the need to impose administrative rule for a day.
As per the revised guidelines, the senior-most elected member in district panchayats, block panchayats, grama panchayats, and municipalities will take the oath first. Designated election officers will administer the oath in these bodies, while in municipal corporations, the District Collector will swear in the first member. Oath ceremonies will begin at 10 AM in panchayat-municipal bodies and at 11:30 AM in corporations.
Following the oath-taking, the first meeting of each council will be held immediately, chaired by the senior-most sworn-in member. During this meeting, members will decide the dates for electing key leadership positions such as Mayor and Deputy Mayor in corporations, Chairman and Vice Chairman in municipalities, and President and Vice President in the three-tier panchayat system.
The elections for these posts require a mandatory three-day notice period, making it likely that the leadership elections will take place after Christmas. Meanwhile, the election of Standing Committee chairpersons is expected to be held in early January.
