Kerala polls: Congress’ 1st list of 55 out, Ramesh Pisharody in Plkd

T'puram: Congress has finally come out with a list of 55 candidates out of the 92 seats it will be contesting in the assembly elections to be held on April 9. The party high command could find single names for the 55 seats, which were announced on Tuesday evening after hectic discussions in New Delhi. Opposition leader V D Satheesan will seek mandate from North Paravur while senior leader Ramesh Chennithala will contest from Haripad. KPCC president Sunny Joseph has entered the fray in Peravoor, Kannur.

Interestingly, candidates have not been declared for Konni, Alappuzha and Kannur seats. It assumes significance since there is speculation that Adoor Prakash, K C Venugopal and K Sudhakaran might contest from these seats. But there are reports that the party high command has conveyed the message that they are not favouring the MPs to contest in the assembly elections. No MPs have been named in the first list.

All the sitting MLAs other than K Babu, Rahul Mamkootathil and Eldose Kunnappally have been fielded by the party again. MLAs Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan (Kottayam), Anwar Sadath (Aluva) and Roji M John (Angamaly) will thus seek a mandate again. In Palakkad, Ramesh Pisharodi has come in place of Mamkootathil, who has been ousted from the party following sexual assault charges. Youth Congress state president O J Janeesh has been fielded in Kodungallur. However, candidates have not been announced in those places where there are severe differences between the leaders in choosing the final names. They include Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta.

In Thiruvananthapuram, where there is intense lobbying for seats, only three candidates have been named — K Muraleedharan in Vattiyoorkavu, sitting MLA M Vincent in Kovalam and Remya Haridas in Chirayinkeezhu. Former Alathur MP Haridas is fielded amid strong protest from local leaders.

In Pathanamthitta, none of the candidates has been finalised yet.

Those who have joined Congress from CPM — A Suresh in Malampuzha and Aisha Potty in Kottarakkara — have also been given seats. Elsewhere, C K Janu, who asked for Mananthavadi seat, has not been given a ticket this time, with Usha Vijayan being fielded there. The other women faces are Bindu Krishna (Kollam), Shanimol Usman (Aroor), Vidya Balakrishnan (Elathur), K A Thulasi (Kongad), Muthara Raj (Mavelikkara) and MLA Uma Thomas (Thrikkakara).

Key seats such as Aranmula and Chengannur have not been included in the first list. Unlike during the byelections and the recently held local body polls, where Congress quickly found momentum by announcing the candidates very early and fared exceptionally well eventually, the party has been slow off the blocks this time reportedly after several senior leaders and factions staked claim for seats. The ruling LDF has been quick in naming candidates and has begun campaigning, which is crucial considering only three weeks remain for polling from now.