Cong names 81 for Kerala polls
The Congress on Tuesday late night announced a list of 81 party candidates for the ensuing Kerala Assembly elections scheduled to take place on April 13. Prominent among them are leader of opposition in the assembly Oommen Chandy, PCC chief Ramesh Chennithala and former chief minister K. Karunakaran's son K. Muraleedharan.
Contrary to the party tradition in the state, Congress president Sonia Gandhi cleared names of many youth and women to contest elections on the party symbol.
Incidentally, the list of candidates of the largest coalition partner in the United Democratic Front (UDF) has come almost a week after the ruling CPI(M) and others announced their candidates. Sources in the party revealed that due to the intervention of AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, many of the young faces got tickets this time.
They said, though the state leadership was of the view that the experienced had more chances of winning the elections, the top central leadership otherwise and accommodated more young and women candidates.
It was learnt that Mrs Gandhi in the central election committee meeting insisted that at least 10 percent of the seats should be given to women.
During last assembly elections held in 2006, Congress could field only seven women, but this time their number would be 10. However, the party has retained its 23 sitting legislators.
Interestingly Congress has fielded a woman candidate Lathika Subash against chief minister VS Achuthanandan from Malampuzha assembly segment. In a quid-pro-quo move CPI(M) too has fielded a women candidate Suja Soosan George against leader of opposition Oommen Chandy.
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