50% Congress seats in Kerala to go to youth, new faces in Assembly polls

The Kerala Congress announced the list of probable candidates for the coming Assembly polls in the state is ready, and 50% seats would go to the youth and new faces

The Kerala Congress announced on Friday that the list of probable candidates for the coming Assembly polls in the state is ready, and 50 per cent seats would go to the youth and new faces, said the chairman of the party's election committee, Oommen Chandy.

The 140-member Kerala Assembly will go to the polls on April 6, while the results will be declared on April 6.

Two-time Chief Minister Chandy was speaking to the media soon after chairing a meeting of the election committee.

"There will be no seats for those who had lost in the two previous elections. Fifty per cent of the seats would be reserved for the youth (male and female) and new faces. Those who lost in the recent local body elections will not be considered," Chandy said.

Congress leads the United Democratic Front (UDF) which at present has five allies. This time the party is expected to contest around 95 seats in the state.

A mad scramble for seats has been seen in Kerala over the years, which are mainly divided between the top faction leaders.

At present there are three factions - Chandy leads the biggest faction, followed by Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and then there are splinter groups centering around the incumbent state Congress President Mullapally Ramachandran.

There is also a smaller faction led by Rajya Sabha member and former Union Minister Vayalar Ravi.

But this time Rahul Gandhi would also be a deciding factor and it wouldn't be easy for the faction managers to push their candidates with ease.

"We are confident of announcing our list from Delhi by early next week," said Chandy.

Already fireworks have begun in districts like Pathanamthitta, Palakkad and Ernakulam, where a few senior leaders, after realising that things will be difficult for them this time, have raised a banner of revolt.

"The only difference this time is that unlike in the past, there is a strong realisation that if we have to come to power, there has to be some sort of discipline and order among the workers, and all will have to work hard," said a top leader who did not wish to be named.

--IANS

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