Congress releases list of 55 candidates for Kerala polls

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New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday released a list of 55 candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Kerala.

The announcement of the names of candidates came few hours after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge along with Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party’s General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal held the Central Election Commission Committee for the Kerala Assembly elections.

The party’s Central Election Committee of Congress has selected the 55  candidates for the Kerala after detailed deliberations on the names of the candidates, as per a communique’ issued by Venugopal this evening.

According to the list announced by the Congress, the party has fielded Chandy Oommen, sob of former Chief Minister Ommena Chandy from Puthuppally Assembly constituency, senior party leader Ramesh Pisharody from Palakkad, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly VD Sateeshan from Paravur, C Subramaniam from Tarur and Rajan J Pallan from Thrissur.

Other key candidates include K Muraleedharan from Vattiyoorkavu and Ramya Haridas from Chirayinkeezhu.

Among the candidates also include M Vincent for Kovalam Assembly constituency, while Bindu Krishna for Kollam, K Binimon from Vaikom, Ramesh Chennithala from Haripad seat.

It may be mentioned that, Venugopal had earlier stated that energised by the victory in the local body elections, the United Democratic Front (Congress-led alliance in Kerala) is all set to achieve historic success in the upcoming Assembly polls.

“We are unitedly going for election. We are very much sure that we are going to cross 100 seats in this election,” the senior Congress leader hadsaid.

Assembly elections to 140 seats in Kerala are scheduled to be held in a single phase along with Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The polling scheduled to be held on April 9. The counting of votes will take place on May 4.

According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the last date for filing nomination is March 23. The scrutiny of nominations will take place the next day.

The last date for withdrawal of candidature is March 26, as per the schedule of the poll panel.

It may be mentioned that prior to the annoucement of Assembly elections in Kerala, the poll panel conducted Special Intensive Revision (SIR), in the state. The exercise was aimed at purification of electoral rolls.