<p>Kochi: Congress leader V D Satheesan on Saturday agreed that women ought to have been given more seats in the upcoming Assembly polls.</p>.<p>The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/elections/kerala/kerala-assembly-elections-2026-from-loss-to-comeback-uma-thomas-faces-fresh-test-in-thrikkakara-3939550"> Kerala Assembly</a> said that the party wanted to give more seats to women in the Assembly polls.</p>.<p>"We wanted to give more seats. Even I am not satisfied with that issue. It (seats given) was not enough," he told reporters at Paravoor here.</p>.<p>His response comes a day after Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohamed expressed dissatisfaction over the low representation of women in the party's candidate list for the upcoming Assembly elections on April 9.</p>.<p>Regarding queries related to the UDF support for former CPI(M) leader G Sudhakaran, the opposition leader said that he has a lot of respect for the Marxist veteran who was a "fair minister" when he was in government.</p>.Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | Indecision on controversial seats continues as Congress releases first list .<p>"He (Sudhakaran) does not lie. He was a fair minister. He distributed funds to all MLAs equally. I still respect him. He took a stand, and after that, we politically backed him," Satheesan said.</p>.<p>He also said that he was greatly indebted to former MLA and Congress Joseph Vazhakan, who had brought him back to the political mainstream.</p>.<p>"So, I am greatly indebted to him. He loved me like a brother. I am sad that even in my current position, I could not ensure a seat for him," he said.</p>.<p>Vazhakan had on Friday expressed his disappointment over being denied a seat at the last moment, as he had printed election posters and banners in preparation to contest in the polls.</p>.<p>He, however, had said that he would remain committed to the party despite the setback.</p>.<p>Vazhakan had said that his name had been under consideration for the Ettumannur constituency, but the Congress on Thursday decided to field DCC president Nattakom Suresh from the seat.</p>.<p>Satheesan, while speaking to reporters, also said that there was nothing wrong with posters being put up in the name of any Congress leader.</p>.<p>"We have no problems with that as the team Congress is united. The CM candidate has already been decided. It's CPI(M) narrative that there are problems in the Congress, there are no issues in the party," he said in response to reporters' queries about posters of K C Venugopal being put up in many places of the state.</p>
<p>Kochi: Congress leader V D Satheesan on Saturday agreed that women ought to have been given more seats in the upcoming Assembly polls.</p>.<p>The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/elections/kerala/kerala-assembly-elections-2026-from-loss-to-comeback-uma-thomas-faces-fresh-test-in-thrikkakara-3939550"> Kerala Assembly</a> said that the party wanted to give more seats to women in the Assembly polls.</p>.<p>"We wanted to give more seats. Even I am not satisfied with that issue. It (seats given) was not enough," he told reporters at Paravoor here.</p>.<p>His response comes a day after Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohamed expressed dissatisfaction over the low representation of women in the party's candidate list for the upcoming Assembly elections on April 9.</p>.<p>Regarding queries related to the UDF support for former CPI(M) leader G Sudhakaran, the opposition leader said that he has a lot of respect for the Marxist veteran who was a "fair minister" when he was in government.</p>.Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | Indecision on controversial seats continues as Congress releases first list .<p>"He (Sudhakaran) does not lie. He was a fair minister. He distributed funds to all MLAs equally. I still respect him. He took a stand, and after that, we politically backed him," Satheesan said.</p>.<p>He also said that he was greatly indebted to former MLA and Congress Joseph Vazhakan, who had brought him back to the political mainstream.</p>.<p>"So, I am greatly indebted to him. He loved me like a brother. I am sad that even in my current position, I could not ensure a seat for him," he said.</p>.<p>Vazhakan had on Friday expressed his disappointment over being denied a seat at the last moment, as he had printed election posters and banners in preparation to contest in the polls.</p>.<p>He, however, had said that he would remain committed to the party despite the setback.</p>.<p>Vazhakan had said that his name had been under consideration for the Ettumannur constituency, but the Congress on Thursday decided to field DCC president Nattakom Suresh from the seat.</p>.<p>Satheesan, while speaking to reporters, also said that there was nothing wrong with posters being put up in the name of any Congress leader.</p>.<p>"We have no problems with that as the team Congress is united. The CM candidate has already been decided. It's CPI(M) narrative that there are problems in the Congress, there are no issues in the party," he said in response to reporters' queries about posters of K C Venugopal being put up in many places of the state.</p>