Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress published its initial candidate list for the Kerala state elections Tuesday, announcing names from 55 assembly constituencies, amid criticism from opponents over delays.
This does not include Kannur, which ex-chief of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and Lok Sabha MP K. Sudhakaran has repeatedly shown an interest in contesting.
In Kerala, elections will be held in early April to elect 140 members of the state assembly.
Incumbent MLA and Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan will contest from his home turf of Paravoor in Ernakulam district. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunny Joseph will contest the seat he is currently representing—Peravoor in Kannur district. Peravoor is expected to see a fierce battle between Joseph and CPI(M) leader K.K. Shailaja this time.
Another senior Congress leader, Ramesh Chennithala, will also attempt to retain his seat, the Harippad assembly constituency.
In Thiruvananthapuram’s Vattiyoorkavu, K. Muraleedharan is up against Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader V.K. Prashant, the incumbent MLA, and BJP leader and retired IPS officer R. Sreelekha.
The Congress has fielded popular television star Ramesh Pisharody in Palakkad, replacing Rahul Mamkootathil. The actor will contest against BJP leader Sobha Surendran in Palakkad, another key seat. Both the national parties consider Palakkad important, and it’s expected to be one of the most tight contests in Kerala.
The Congress has been facing many controversies in Palakkad over the past year, after multiple sexual assault cases were lodged against Mamkootathil, who has since been expelled from the party.
P. Aisha Potty, who recently switched from the CPI(M) to Congress, has been fielded against incumbent MLA and Kerala Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal from the Kottarakkara assembly constituency.
Ex-mayor and Congress leader Rajan Pallan has been fielded against K. Karunakaran’s daughter, Padmaja Venugopal, a former Congress leader who joined the BJP in 2024.
Chandy Oommen, the son of ex-CM Oommen Chandy, will contest from Puthuppally, the seat he currently represents and his late father’s former constituency.
In Malampuzha, a constituency previously represented by CPI(M) veteran V.S. Achuthanandan, the Congress has fielded A. Suresh, a former staff member of V.S., who was expelled by the party in 2013 for violating party discipline. Suresh joined the Congress just hours before the list was announced Tuesday.
The initial list of candidates stands out as the party has avoided announcing its candidate for Kannur, where former KPCC chief K. Sudhakaran has claimed candidacy.
Sudhakaran, currently the Lok Sabha MP representing the Kannur Lok Sabha constituency, expressed his interest in contesting from Kannur through statements at public events and social media posts last week. However, these were soon snubbed by the Kerala Congress leadership, which said that party functionaries cannot announce candidacy on their own.
Amid such discussions, posters appeared in several areas, suggesting support for Sudhakaran in Kannur, while the party maintained that its central leadership would make the final decision on the candidature.
Similar posters also appeared in Konni, in the home turf of Attingal MP Adoor Prakash. The party, however, is yet to announce its candidate for Konni, as of Tuesday.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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