Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | All issues regarding candidate selection resolved, says VD Satheesan

Kochi/New Delhi: Senior Congress leader V D Satheesan on Thursday said all issues have been resolved with regard to the selection of party candidates for the upcoming polls in the state.

Satheesan, early in the morning, told reporters in New Delhi that the full list of names, for the remaining 40 seats in which the party is contesting, will be announced during the day.

Congress had released a list of 55 candidates for the upcoming assembly polls on Tuesday.

The Congress, reportedly, has been under pressure from Kannur MP K Sudhakaran and Attingal MP Adoor Prakash, who have expressed their interest in contesting from Kannur and Konni assembly constituencies, respectively.

He said that there will be no "explosion" within the party, but there will be members who would be disappointed on not getting a chance to contest in the assembly polls on April 9.

"Sometimes there are more than one member who is eligible for being a candidate from a seat, but only one of them can be selected. It was difficult for us too. We will support and protect those who are disappointed," the Leader of Opposition in the assembly said.

Hours later, after arriving in Kerala, Satheesan told media in Kochi that he has returned as the candidate selection work is over.

"All issues have been resolved. The final list of candidates will be announced during the day," he said.

However, Satheesan did not answer reporters' queries as to whether Kannur MP and party strongman K Sudhakaran has been given a party ticket or not.

He responded that he was not the one to answer that query and everything will be clear when the final list of candidates is announced.

He also claimed that reports of Sudhakaran's dissatisfaction with the party were a "media creation".

Satheesan also rejected reports of delay in the selection of candidates by the Congress, saying that it took more time as the chairman of the screening committee was unwell.

"Despite that, the candidates have been selected in record time. The CPI(M) has not announced its full list of candidates," he added.