Thiruvananthapuram: The KPCC has submitted the first list of candidates for assembly election to the screening committee of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).KPCC president Sunny Joseph said the official announcement of candidates would be made after the opposition leader concluded his Puthu Yuga Yatra. Satheesan also said in New Delhi that a list of around 50 candidates was ready and could be released any time.The list handed over to the screening committee chaired by Madhusudan Mistry included sitting MLAs and constituencies where consensus was reached on a single name. Satheesan and Joseph held nearly two hours of discussions with the committee before submitting the first list on Sunday.According to party sources, the current thinking is to retain sitting MLAs in all constituencies except Palakkad and Tripunithura where discussions are still ongoing.Among the names under consideration in the first list are – K Muraleedharan (Vattiyoorkavu), N Sakthan (Neyyattinkara), Aisha Potty (Kottarakkara), Jyothikumar Chamakkala (Pathanapuram), Bindhu Krishna (Kollam), Abin Varkey (Aranmula), Shanimol Osman (Aroor), Cyriac Thomas (Peermade), O J Janeesh (Kodungallur), T N Prathapan (Manalur), V T Balram (Thrithala), K M Abhijith (Nadapuram) and Praveen Kumar (Koyilandy). M Liju’s name was reportedly considered in three constituencies — Ambalappuzha, Tripunithura and Udumbanchola. In the reserved Adoor constituency, the party is likely to field Ramya Haridas. Malapuram DCC president V S Joy is said to have an edge in Thiruvambady.The party plans to submit the list in three phases and obtain clearance from the central leadership. The election committee chaired by Mallikarjun Kharge may suggest changes to the list forwarded by the KPCC. The committee is expected to meet next week to give final approval.A decision on whether MPs will be fielded in the assembly election will be taken by the party high command. The state leadership reportedly conveyed its preference that MPs should not contest.
