With first Congress list, shape of contests in Kerala firms up

THe contours of the canvass combat in Kerala became top on tues as the united states congress released a list of 55 candidates and ally Indian Union Muslim League another 25 for the upcoming assembly polls next month.With this, the ruling Left Democratic Front has announced 130candidates, its main challenger the United Democratic Front 95, and the National Democratic Alliance 75. All 140 assembly seats in Kerala go to the polls on April 9.Key battleground seats include Nemom, Vattiyoorkavu, Peravoor and Palakkad. The LDF is hoping for a third consecutive term.In its first list, the Congress dropped one sitting lawmakers, including Palakkad legislator Rahul Mamkootathil, who is embroiled in multiple sexual assault charges.It fielded 19 sitting lawmakers including state unit chief Sunny Joseph (Peravoor), Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan (Paravur), senior leader Ramesh Chennithala (Haripad), former minister AP Anilkumar (Wandoor), former youth unit chief Roji M John (Angamaly) and AICC secretary PC Vishnunadh (Kundara).Instead of Mamkootathil, who was accused by three women of rape and sexual assault, the Congress picked popular actor-director Ramesh Pisharody in Palakkad where a fierce three-way fight will ensue. Pisharody will take on the BJP’s Sobha Surendran. The Left is yet to finalise its candidate.Former Vadakara MP K Muraleedharan, who lost to the BJP’s Suresh Gopi in Thrissur in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, was accommodated in Vattiyoorkavu and former Communist Party of India (Marxist) legislator P Aisha Potty was fielded in Kottarakkara where she will take on CPI(M) leader and finance minister KN Balagopal.Former Alathur MP Ramya Haridas was fielded in the SC-reserved Chirayankeezhu constituency, where a section of party leaders have publicly opposed her candidature.The Congress picked Abdul Rasheed VP Abdul Rasheed (who was the party candidate in 2021 in Thaliparambu constituency) to take on chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Dharmadam, a Left stronghold, and state unit vice-president VT Balram will once again fight sitting minister MB Rajesh in Thrithala.The Congress list did not name candidates for Perumbavoor and Thripunithura, both of which it holds. In Perumbavoor, the leadership appears unsure about sitting MLA Eldhose Kunnappally, who faces sexual assault allegations. In Thripunithura, the party is yet to find a replacement for MLA K Babu who announced his retirement from electoral politics.Another question of whether incumbent Lok Sabha MPs will be allowed to contest the assembly elections is also unclear. Kannur MP K Sudhakaran and Attingal MP Adoor Prakash, both of whom have shown interest in contesting the polls, are in Delhi to make their case with the central leadership. Sudhakaran, the former state unit president, has hinted that he may turn rebel if denied a ticket.He had said on Tuesday, “No one has held any discussions with me over the past couple of days. It’s as if I don’t carry any weight.”UDF partners Kerala Congress and IUML also released their respective candidate lists.For the first time, IUML fielded two women – Muslim Youth League (MYL) state secretary Fathima Thahliya in Perambra and national assistant secretary Jayanthi Rajan in Koothuparambu. Both seats are held by the LDF.A party characterised by a male-dominated leadership structure and hierarchy, the IUML has fielded women only twice in its history, in 1996 and 2021, both times one candidate each. Both times, the party tasted defeat.To be sure, the women were not fielded from the party’s strongholds in Malappuram district.Other notable candidates in the party’s list of 25 names include PK Kunhalikutty (Malappuram), PK Firoz (Koduvally), PK Basheer (Ernad), Najeeb Kanthapuram (Perinthalmanna), Faisal Babu (Kozhikode South) and KM Shaji (Vengara).Kunhalikutty, a seasoned party leader, shifted to Malappuram from Vengara, firebrand leader KM Shaji, who lost the 2021 elections in Azhikode, was allotted the safe seat of Vengara.The IUML said it will finalise candidates in Punalur and Chelakkara by Thursday.The Kerala Congress, led by PJ Joseph, also announced its list of eight candidates, two fewer than the number of the seats it fought in the 2021 elections. KC chairman and 10-time MLA PJ Joseph retired from electoral politics, paving the way for the candidature of his son Apu John Joseph in Thodupuzha constituency in Idukki district.Apart from Apu John Joseph, sitting MLA Mons Joseph was fielded again in Kaduthuruthy and Irinjalakuda went once again to Thomas Unniyadan. Idukki and Ettumanoor seats, which the party fought in 2021, will be taken over by the Congress. The Joseph-led party has two MLAs in the outgoing assembly.