Several sitting Lok Sabha members of the Congress in Kerala are considering contesting the upcoming Assembly elections, seeing a potential for the Congress-led UDF to regain power after almost a decade in opposition. This positive political scenario has encouraged many MPs to look at returning to state politics with hopes of securing positions in a future state Cabinet.
The prospect of notable MPs joining the Assembly race has sparked tensions within the party’s state leadership. Reports suggesting K.C. Venugopal’s possible participation in the Assembly polls have further fueled this debate. Following cues from K. Sudhakaran and Adoor Prakash, additional MPs like M.K. Raghavan, Kodikunnil Suresh, and Shafi Parambil have also shown interest in entering the electoral contest.
Sudhakaran, in particular, seems eager to secure a seat, raising concerns among party insiders that denying him a ticket could lead to significant internal discord. Meanwhile, a majority of state leaders have expressed reservations about fielding MPs in the Assembly elections. They argue that moving sitting MPs to the state legislature might dilute the party’s presence in Parliament and result in unnecessary by-elections if they secure Assembly seats.
The matter is expected to be discussed at the Congress election committee meeting in New Delhi to finalize the initial candidate list. Talks with the party high command are likely to result in a consensus on the first list, which could see around 60 candidates announced. A decision is pending on whether MPs will be allowed to contest the Assembly polls, with the state leadership leaning towards retaining sitting MLAs in their constituencies, including crucial seats like Perumbavoor and Sultan Bathery.
However, with several senior MPs asserting their claims and the party leadership evaluating electoral prospects alongside organizational considerations, the final composition of the Congress candidate list may hinge on how the high command balances these conflicting pressures. In the 140-member Kerala Assembly, the Congress contests between 90 to 95 seats, depending on seat-sharing agreements with allies. Currently, the Congress holds 22 legislators in the Assembly, with one member expelled from the party.
