<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Finalising <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=Congress">Congress</a> candidates for the Kerala Assembly election is dragging owing to differences over several seats including Kannur where sitting MP K Sudhakaran is insisting to contest.</p><p>The screening committee meeting in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=Delhi">Delhi</a> was reportedly progressing till late on Wednesday night.</p><p>Congress is contesting in 95 of the 140 seats in Kerala, while candidates for 55 seats were announced on Tuesday, 40 more candidates are yet to be finalised.</p>.Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | Indecision on controversial seats continues as Congress releases first list .<p>Kerala Opposition Leader V D Satheesan said on Wednesday noon that the candidates would be finalised by the end of the day.</p><p>It is learnt that despite conciliatory talks by many senior Congress leaders, Kannur MP and former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran was sticking to his stand that he would contest from Kannur. </p><p>Adoor Prakash MP was also expressing strong desire to contest from Konni in Pathanamthitta. </p><p>Any rebel move by Sudhakaran could affect the prospects of other Congress candidates in Kannur, including Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Sunny Joseph, as he is an influential leader in the district. </p><p>The Congress leadership is learnt to be considering relaxation to him. All other MPs need to be taken into confidence as the party had earlier arrived at a consensus that no sitting MPs shall contest the assembly polls.</p><p>Sources said that there were serious differences among senior leaders over candidates to several other seats, too. </p><p>Sitting MLA of Perumbavoor Eldose Kunnappilly, who was not included in the first list as a sexual assault case was pending against him, called on party leaders in Delhi on Tuesday pressing for seat.</p><p>Meanwhile, Alappuzha district Congress committee vice president Saji Varghese announced that he would contest as an independent candidate at Kuttanad seat as the party leadership allotted the seat to coalition partner Kerala Congress (Joseph). Varghese, along with many other local leaders, left the Congress</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Finalising <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=Congress">Congress</a> candidates for the Kerala Assembly election is dragging owing to differences over several seats including Kannur where sitting MP K Sudhakaran is insisting to contest.</p><p>The screening committee meeting in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=Delhi">Delhi</a> was reportedly progressing till late on Wednesday night.</p><p>Congress is contesting in 95 of the 140 seats in Kerala, while candidates for 55 seats were announced on Tuesday, 40 more candidates are yet to be finalised.</p>.Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | Indecision on controversial seats continues as Congress releases first list .<p>Kerala Opposition Leader V D Satheesan said on Wednesday noon that the candidates would be finalised by the end of the day.</p><p>It is learnt that despite conciliatory talks by many senior Congress leaders, Kannur MP and former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran was sticking to his stand that he would contest from Kannur. </p><p>Adoor Prakash MP was also expressing strong desire to contest from Konni in Pathanamthitta. </p><p>Any rebel move by Sudhakaran could affect the prospects of other Congress candidates in Kannur, including Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Sunny Joseph, as he is an influential leader in the district. </p><p>The Congress leadership is learnt to be considering relaxation to him. All other MPs need to be taken into confidence as the party had earlier arrived at a consensus that no sitting MPs shall contest the assembly polls.</p><p>Sources said that there were serious differences among senior leaders over candidates to several other seats, too. </p><p>Sitting MLA of Perumbavoor Eldose Kunnappilly, who was not included in the first list as a sexual assault case was pending against him, called on party leaders in Delhi on Tuesday pressing for seat.</p><p>Meanwhile, Alappuzha district Congress committee vice president Saji Varghese announced that he would contest as an independent candidate at Kuttanad seat as the party leadership allotted the seat to coalition partner Kerala Congress (Joseph). Varghese, along with many other local leaders, left the Congress</p>