UDF seat-sharing deal: Congress 95, IUML 27, KC(J) 8 for Kerala polls

THiruvananthapuram: The u.s. Congress testament struggle 95 of Kerala’s 140 seats, deuce sir thomas more than it did in 2021, as part of a seat-sharing arrangement within the United Democratic Front (UDF) that was finalised on Wednesday after hectic consultations at the AICC headquarters in Delhi.As per the seat-sharing formula revealed by Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) will contest 27 seats, unchanged from the last time.PJ Joseph-led Kerala Congress (KC) was allotted eight seats, two less than in 2021. Ettumanoor and Idukki constituencies, fought by KC last time, will be taken over by the Congress as part of a one-time arrangement, Satheesan said.Additionally, the Congress will take over Thrikkaripur seat from KC, while giving the party Kanhangad seat. “Unlike previous years, the seat sharing discussions were very smooth this time. The release of lists got delayed, not due to any tussles over seats,” Satheesan said.Also Read | Kerala polls: BJP releases 1st candidates list; Rajeev Chandrasekhar named from NemomThe Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), led by Shibu Baby John, was allotted five seats. Instead of the Mattannur seat in Kannur district that it traditionally fights, the RSP opted for Payyannur where it will support the candidature of Communist Party of India (Marxist) rebel V Kunhikrishnan, who raised allegations of misappropriation of party funds against his former party. The Mattannur seat will go to the Congress.Other allies who get one seat each include Kerala Congress (Jacob) in Piravom, Communist Marxist Party (CMP) in Thiruvananthapuram, Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) in Vatakara, Mani C Kappen-led party in Pala and PV Anvar (Trinamool Congress) in Beypore.The IUML will finalise its nominees in two seats by Thursday. With that, the UDF, which hopes to dislodge the Left Democratic Front after a decade, will have declared all its candidates.Kerala goes to the polls on April 9. The ruling LDF has already declared 137 candidates and the third force, the Bharatiya Janata Party, has released 71 names.Among the battleground seats are Palakkad, Nemom, Vattiyoorkavu, Peravoor and Manjeshwar.In the ruling LDF, the CPI (M) dominates with 86 seats, followed by the CPI’s 25. Smaller allies hold limited but strategic spots: KC(M) with 12, RJD with 3 JD(S) and NCP with 3 each, INL with three seats, and one seat apiece for LJD, NSC, KC(B), Cong(S), and JKC.On Wednesday, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the CPI(M) announced more candidates for the upcoming polls.The RJD – an ally of the Congress at the national level and in Bihar but fighting in Kerala as part of the LDF – revealed three candidates. The CPI(M) unveiled four names as independents.The RJD, led by MV Sreyams Kumar, decided to field MK Bhaskaran from Vatakara, PK Praveen from Koothuparambu and PK Anil Kumar from Kalpetta. Sreyams Kumar, the managing director of the Mathrubhumi newspaper, said he decided to retire from electoral politics after his loss from Kalpetta in the 2021 elections.The party holds one seat in the outgoing assembly.The CPI(M) named candidates in four seats who will fight as party-backed Independents.They will not be contesting on the party’s official ‘hammer-sickle-star’ symbol. They include NMR Razak, a popular restauranteur, in Palakkad constituency where a fierce three-way fight between LDF, UDF and BJP will ensue.