Kerala Assembly polls 2026: Congress candidate selection in limbo

The Congress candidate selection in Kerala appeared to be in limbo with K. Sudhakaran, Kannur MP and former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, refusing to back down from his demand to be fielded from the Kannur Assembly constituency for the April 9 election.  

After several rounds of meetings and consultations, the central election committee of the party could not resolve the issue of allowing MPs from the State to contest the Assembly elections. The second list of candidates was still awaited at the time of filing this report late on Wednesday night.

Mr. Sudhakaran, who has been camping in Delhi, remained unwavering in his demand, citing a promise by the party leadership when he relinquished the KPCC presidentship. Senior leaders, meanwhile, pointed out that other MPs desirous of contesting the Assembly elections were silently rooting for Mr. Sudhakaran.  

When reports last came in at around 10 p.m., the party’s central election committee had reconvened for a second time in the day to thrash out the issues in Kerala. Earlier in the day, All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge made it clear that sitting MPs will not contest in the Assembly elections.  

Mr. Sudhakaran had reportedly settled his MPs’ dues, fueling speculation that he would cross the political rubicon and take up the gauntlet against the Congress’ official candidate in Kannur. Although he was scheduled to hold a press conference on Wednesday, other leaders reportedly dissuaded him from going ahead with it.  

The AICC’s decision not to grant waivers to any MPs also appeared to have dashed the Assembly ambitions of United Democratic Front (UDF) convener Adoor Prakash, CWC special invitee Kodikunnil Suresh, and senior Congress leader M.K. Raghavan, who had evinced interest in contesting the polls. Meanwhile, Mr. Prakash’s supporters released a campaign video in the Konni constituency, which the MP from Attingal has been seeking.  

The AICC also seemed mindful that diluting its diktat against MPs contesting the Assembly polls would open the Pandora’s box of similar demands from other Lok Sabha MPs aspiring for a key role in provincial politics, and also sow disarray in the party’s rank-and-file.  

Differences emerged within the party leaders in Kerala on the issue of MPs contesting, with atleast two of the MPs speaking in divergent tones.   K.Rajmohan Unnithan, MP, said “diluting” the AICC’s decision to keep MPs out of the fray would not augur well for the party’s “public image.“ 

“An exemption would whet the appetite of other MPs to enter the fray, opening the door for dissension,” he told reporters in Delhi.  

Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Shashi Tharoor, MP, seemed to disagree. “Two or three Congress MPs from Kerala have evinced interest in competing in the Assembly elections in Kerala. They are the party’s strong assets. There is nothing amiss in giving them a chance, though such matters are beyond the pale of my organisational responsibility,” he said.  

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan refused to hazard a guess about the candidature of Mr. Sudhakaran and Mr. Prakash. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the CEC would make the final call.