46 Women Candidates, 40 Constituencies
In the 2026 Kerala Assembly Election, the three major fronts have fielded just 46 women out of 420 candidates — roughly 11 per cent.
Front-wise Breakdown
- LDF — 18 women candidates
- NDA — 16 women candidates
- UDF — 12 women candidates
District Spotlight
Ernakulam district has the highest concentration of women candidates with 6 across its 14 constituencies — LDF 2, NDA 3, UDF 1.
Notable Women Candidates
- R Sreelekha — Kerala's first female IPS officer; contesting from Vattiyoorkavu for BJP
- Veena George — Health Minister; defending her seat in Aranmula
- CK Asha — CPI; the only woman MLA from the 15th Assembly not seeking re-election was the exception — all other 10 women MLAs are contesting again
Previous Assembly
The 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly had 11 women MLAs. All except CPI's CK Asha are seeking a fresh mandate.
Progress or Limitation?
Women candidates are present in only 40 of 140 constituencies. While representation is slowly improving, true parity remains a distant goal.