The Kerala government is considering the formation of a new district centred on Muvattupuzha, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said on Sunday. “If new districts are formed, Muvattupuzha will be there,” Satheesan said while addressing the Muvattupuzha municipal corporation’s Onam celebrations. He also announced that a delimitation commission would be constituted.

In the Revised State Budget 2026, Satheesan had earlier announced that a commission would be constituted to study the feasibility and requirements for forming new districts and taluks.

Recalling his discussions with Muvattupuzha MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan, Satheesan said the legislator had raised concerns over the constituency being sidelined. “He told me about Muvattupuzha being sidelined for a very long time and how it had suffered development setbacks due to the revenge attitudes (of previous governments). But I have to say just one thing now - all sorrows will be addressed,” Satheesan said.

The announcement comes amid demands for the creation of a new district in the Malabar region, particularly through the bifurcation of Malappuram. The demand has been raised several times by the Indian Union Muslim League and the Samastha Kerala Jam’iyyathul Ulama (EK faction), with resolutions calling for the reorganisation of northern districts citing population growth and administrative challenges.

At a district-level UDF meeting in Malappuram in June, the bifurcation of the district was also discussed. The meeting decided to seek the appointment of a special officer to examine its feasibility. Demands for the creation of new districts by splitting Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod have also been raised for years.

Muvattupuzha is currently part of Ernakulam district. Satheesan, who represents Paravur in the Assembly, said he was personally reluctant to see Muvattupuzha separated from Ernakulam but acknowledged the demand’s importance.

“I really love the people of Muvattupuzha, and it hurts me to see them being separated from my Ernakulam. However, the demand is being considered with grave importance. The government will also introduce a delimitation commission,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kuzhalnadan said Muvattupuzha, being predominantly agricultural, had often been sidelined in the allocation of government benefits. “Although substantial funds were allocated to Ernakulam, priority was given to the city, while the agriculture-dependent eastern parts of the district received less attention,” he said. Kuzhalnadan welcomed Satheesan’s positive response to the demand.