THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ending long speculation, the Congress on Thursday night announced its second list of 37 candidates.
Three seats — Ambalappuzha, Payyanoor and Ottappalam — where the party is expected to support independents, have been left vacant. Former CPM leaders G Sudhakaran, V Kunhikrishnan and PK Sasi are expected to contest from these seats.
In the disputed Kannur seat, the party has fielded TO Mohanan. Former KPCC chief and Kannur Lok Sabha MP K Sudhakaran had been exerting pressure on the party leadership to contest from here. However, the high command decided against fielding sitting MPs.
Youth Congress leader Abin Varkey was given Aranmula despite opposition from a section of workers. Deepak Joy will be the candidate from Tripunithura.
In the high-voltage Nemom constituency, where BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar is taking on sitting MLA and state Education Minister V. Sivankutty, the Congress has fielded its youth leader KS Savarinathan.
In Kochi, VD Satheesan’s nominee and current DCC president Mohammed Shiyas will contest. Instead of sitting MLA Eldhose Kunappillil, who is facing sexual harassment charges, Manoj Moothedan will be fielded as the party’s candidate from Perumbavoor.
Among the other candidates named in the second list include K Neelakandan from Uduma, Sandeep Varier from Trikaripur, Rajeevan Kappachery from Kalliasseri and Chandran Thillenkeri from Mattannur. TP Shaji has been fielded from Pattambi, P Harigovindan from Shornur and Ajay Mohan from Kunnamkulam.
The Congress released its first list of 55 candidates for the Kerala polls on Tuesday. The opposition party has now declared candidates for all the 92 seats it is contesting in the southern state.