Kerala polls: Congress releases first list of 55, but no decision yet on MPs keen to join state Assembly

Late CPI(M) veteran V S Achuthanandan’s personal 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 recently joined Congress, will contest from Kottarakkara; Palakkad MP V K Sreekandan’s wife, K A Tulsi, has been fielded in Kongad; and former MP Ramya Haridas, who had lost the last Lok Sabha election and an Assembly by-election in 2024, is the party candidate in Chirayinkeezhu. Another former MP, T N Prathapan, also figured in the list. He will contest from Manalur in Thrissur.

The Congress has also fielded a celebrity — comedian and actor Ramesh Pisharody — in Palakkad, which had been represented by Rahul Mamkootathil, who was removed from the party following his alleged involvement in multiple cases of sexual misconduct. In Palakkad, where the BJP was the runner-up in the previous Assembly election, the CPI(M) is also scouting for an Independent, instead of taking on the BJP challenge head-on. Senior BJP leader Sobha Surendran is the NDA candidate in Palakkad.

From Kottayam, the Congress has fielded senior leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who has won all his last seven electoral battles. Another senior leader, A P Anil Kumar, is gearing up for his sixth electoral fight in Wandoor.

Among the 55 candidates, only eight are women. In the outgoing Assembly, the Congress had only one woman legislator, Uma Thomas.

Although two days have passed since the declaration of the election schedule, with Kerala set to go to the polls on April 9, Congress leaders have not yet been able to reach a consensus on candidates in the remaining seats.

In the first list of candidates, the Congress has not announced candidates for Kannur, Konni and Alappuha, the seats where MPs K Sudhakaran, Adoor Prakash and K C Venugopal, respectively, are keen to fight to enter the state Assembly. Sudhakaran and Prakash have reportedly been insisting on getting a ticket to contest the Assembly election.

Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More

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