Congress releases first listing of 55 candidates for Kerala Meeting election 2026

Late CPI(M) veteran V S Achuthanandan’s private assistant, A Suresh, who joined the Congress on Tuesday, is the candidate in Malampuzha, the seat that VS had represented from 2001 to 2021. Former three-term CPI(M) legislator Aishya Potty, who had not too long ago joined Congress, will contest from Kottarakkara; Palakkad MP V Ok Sreekandan’s spouse, Ok A Tulsi, has been fielded in Kongad; and former MP Ramya Haridas, who had misplaced the final Lok Sabha election and an Meeting by-election in 2024, is the get together candidate in Chirayinkeezhu. One other former MP, T N Prathapan, additionally figured within the listing. He’ll contest from Manalur in Thrissur.

The Congress has additionally fielded a star — comic and actor Ramesh Pisharody — in Palakkad, which had been represented by Rahul Mamkootathil, who was faraway from the get together following his alleged involvement in a number of circumstances of sexual misconduct. In Palakkad, the place the BJP was the runner-up within the earlier Meeting election, the CPI(M) can also be scouting for an Impartial, as a substitute of taking over the BJP problem head-on. Senior BJP chief Sobha Surendran is the NDA candidate in Palakkad.

From Kottayam, the Congress has fielded senior chief Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who has received all his final seven electoral battles. One other senior chief, A P Anil Kumar, is gearing up for his sixth electoral combat in Wandoor.

Among the many 55 candidates, solely eight are girls. Within the outgoing Meeting, the Congress had just one lady legislator, Uma Thomas.

Though two days have handed for the reason that declaration of the election schedule, with Kerala set to go to the polls on April 9, Congress leaders haven’t but been capable of attain a consensus on candidates within the remaining seats.

Within the first listing of candidates, the Congress has not introduced candidates for Kannur, Konni and Alappuha, the seats the place MPs Ok Sudhakaran, Adoor Prakash and Ok C Venugopal, respectively, are eager to combat to enter the state Meeting. Sudhakaran and Prakash have reportedly been insisting on getting a ticket to contest the Meeting election.