Governor succession
P. S. Rao served as acting first Governor. The official Raj Bhavan list preserves every substantive, acting and additional-charge tenure through Arif Mohammed Khan. Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has served since 2 January 2025.
State dossier 13 · Kerala
Kerala since 1956.
A source-led record of linguistic formation, constitutional offices, elections, social development, economy, culture, Western Ghats ecology and accountability.
Boundary rule: Kerala formed on 1 November 1956 by combining Travancore-Cochin, Malabar district and Kasaragod taluk, while southern taluks moved to Madras State. Pre-1956 figures retain their historical unit.
140Assembly constituencies
20Lok Sabha constituencies
33,406,061Census 2011 population
94.00%Census 2011 literacy
Constitutional journey
Princely-state integration and language reorganisation preceded the modern State.
1 JUL 1949Travancore and Cochin united
1 NOV 1956States Reorganisation created Kerala
5 APR 1957First elected ministry took office
Chief Ministers and President’s Rule
| Chief Minister / administration | Period | Party / status |
|---|---|---|
| E. M. S. Namboodiripad | 5 Apr 1957–31 Jul 1959; 6 Mar 1967–1 Nov 1969 | CPI, later CPI(M)-led coalition |
| President’s Rule | 31 Jul 1959–22 Feb 1960; 10 Sep 1964–6 Mar 1967 | Article 356 |
| Pattom A. Thanu Pillai | 22 Feb 1960–26 Sep 1962 | PSP-led coalition |
| R. Sankar | 26 Sep 1962–10 Sep 1964 | INC |
| C. Achutha Menon | 1 Nov 1969–1 Aug 1970; 4 Oct 1970–25 Mar 1977 | CPI-led coalitions |
| President’s Rule | 1 Aug–4 Oct 1970; 5 Dec 1979–25 Jan 1980 | Article 356 |
| K. Karunakaran | 25 Mar–25 Apr 1977; 28 Dec 1981–17 Mar 1982; 24 May 1982–25 Mar 1987; 24 Jun 1991–16 Mar 1995 | INC-led UDF; four ministries |
| A. K. Antony | 27 Apr 1977–27 Oct 1978; 22 Mar 1995–9 May 1996; 17 May 2001–29 Aug 2004 | INC-led governments |
| P. K. Vasudevan Nair | 29 Oct 1978–7 Oct 1979 | CPI-led government |
| C. H. Mohammed Koya | 12 Oct–1 Dec 1979 | IUML-led coalition |
| E. K. Nayanar | 25 Jan 1980–20 Oct 1981; 26 Mar 1987–17 Jun 1991; 20 May 1996–13 May 2001 | CPI(M)-led LDF |
| Oommen Chandy | 31 Aug 2004–12 May 2006; 18 May 2011–20 May 2016 | INC-led UDF |
| V. S. Achuthanandan | 18 May 2006–14 May 2011 | CPI(M)-led LDF |
| Pinarayi Vijayan | 25 May 2016–4 May 2026 | CPI(M)-led LDF; two ministries |
| V. D. Satheesan | 18 May 2026–present | INC-led UDF |
Legislature CM chronology · GAD Chief Ministers · 2026 appointment Gazette.
Governors and current ministry
Council of Ministers · verified 3 September 2026
V. D. Satheesan leads the UDF ministry sworn on 18 May 2026. The official I&PRD register supplies the current ministers and portfolio allocation and supersedes the outgoing 2021 LDF roster.
Assembly elections, alliances and representation
| Election era | Mandate | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | CPI plurality | First elected Communist ministry; dismissed in 1959. |
| 1960–1977 | Changing coalitions | INC, CPI, Muslim League and other parties formed successive fronts. |
| 1980–2016 | LDF–UDF alternation | Broadly alternating CPI(M)-led and INC-led alliances. |
| 2016 | LDF 91 of 140 | Pinarayi Vijayan’s first ministry. |
| 2021 | LDF 99 | First incumbent alliance returned since 1977. |
| 2026 | INC 63; IUML 22; Kerala Congress 7; RSP 3; allied parties and independents | UDF won a majority; CPI(M) 26, CPI 8 and BJP 3 in ECI party totals. |
Kerala elects 140 MLAs and 20 Lok Sabha members. Party totals and alliance totals are separate: the ECI reports registered-party results, while alliance composition requires a dated coalition source.
People, economy and public finance
| Measure | Figure / frame | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,406,061 | Census 2011 |
| Literacy | 94.00% | Census 2011 |
| Area | 38,863 km² | Government geography |
| Real GSDP growth, 2024–25 | 6.19% | Quick estimate in Economic Review 2025 |
| Real per-capita GSDP, 2024–25 | ₹1,90,149 | Economic Review, constant-price series |
| Economic structure | Services, remittances, tourism, trade, construction, manufacturing, agriculture and fisheries | Remittances and GSDP are distinct measures |
Health, education and poverty indicators require definition, reference year and source. High State averages do not erase district, gender, caste, tribal or coastal inequality.
Heritage, nature and civic change
Western Ghats
Kerala contains components of UNESCO’s six-State Western Ghats serial property. Silent Valley, Eravikulam, Periyar and other protected areas retain their own legal designations.
Living culture
Koodiyattam, Mudiyettu and other UNESCO intangible-heritage elements concern practices and communities, not World Heritage sites. Built, natural and intangible lists are kept distinct.
Social reform and land
Temple-entry, anti-caste, education, library, labour, peasant and land-reform movements are dated through statutes and archives; no single party is credited for an entire social transformation.
Environment and public action
Silent Valley, Plachimada, fisheries, quarrying and Western Ghats campaigns involve different demands and legal outcomes. Disaster records for floods and landslides remain event-specific.
UNESCO Western Ghats · Forest Department · KSDMA · movements collection.
Audits and public accountability
CAG State Finances, compliance, performance and local-government reports are tied to the audit year, audited bodies and government replies. Decentralised planning, public enterprises, health, infrastructure and welfare claims require report-level evidence.
Audit observation, allegation, inquiry, charge, trial, judgment and appeal are separate statuses. An audit conclusion alone does not prove criminal guilt.
Source ledger
Formation: Parliament and India Code · Governors: Raj Bhavan · Chief Ministers, cabinets and legislature: GAD, Gazette, I&PRD and Niyamasabha · elections: ECI · population: Census India · economy and development: Planning Board, Budget, RBI and CAG · heritage and nature: UNESCO, ASI, Forest Department, MoEFCC and Ramsar · movements, disasters and accountability: statutes, courts, KSDMA and CAG. Checked 3 September 2026.