Cong announces fourth list of 27 candidates

The Congress Saturday night released its fourth list of 27 candidates, including 12 from Kerala, but denied party ticket to sitting MP and former Union minister K V Thomas from the Ernakulum Lok Sabha seat.

The party renominated its sitting MPs and former Union ministers, Shashi Tharoor and K Suresh, from Thiruvananthapuram and Mavelikkara Lok Sabha seats.

The Congress replaced Thomas with Hibi Eden, the sitting MLA from Ernakulum.

The party also renominated its Pathanamthitta MP Anto Antony. It fielded former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki from the Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat.

The Congress dropped former Union minister and sitting MP from Arunachal East Ninong Ering and replaced him with James Lowangcha Wanglet.

Among the 27 Lok Sabha seats declared Saturday, 12 are from Kerala, seven from Uttar Pradesh, five from Chhattisgarh, two from Arunachal and one from Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

In Kerala, of the total 20 seats, the party is contesting in 16, but has not declared the candidates for the other four seats.

UDF convenor Benny Bahanan has been fielded from Chalakudy, while Kerala Youth Congress president Dean Kuriakose has been fielded from the Idukki seat.