Kerala Government and Politics

The Indian Republic is a parliamentary democracy and a federation. The representatives of the central and state governments are chosen through free and fair polls conducted on the principles of universal suffrage. The state of Kerala is unicameral i.e. has a single house of legislature. The Government of Kerala encompasses the 3 functions of legislature, executive and judiciary. The judiciary is free of the legislature and executive and is made up of a hierarchy of lower courts, tribunals and the High Court at Trivandrum.

The highest official belonging to the judiciary of Kerala is the Chief Justice who administers the oath while swearing in the Governor. Besides the Chief Justice, twenty six permanent and two additional justices or pro tempore judges hold their offices in the High Court. The legislative assembly of the Kerala Government is composed of the people’s representatives, i.e. members who have been elected to the post of MLA. These members come from various political parties. Political parties represent the political ideologies and interests of a section of the citizens. The multi party system ensures that all factions have adequate representation in the legislature. Among these MLA s, the chief of the majority party or majority coalition is invited by the Governor, the de jure head of the state to form an executive council. This means that the executive powers of the state are vested in the Governor by the President of the nation. However the de facto head of the state is the Chief Minister, meaning that these executive functions though carried out in the name of the Governor are in fact carried out by the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers.