UDF Lok Sabha seat-sharing: Congress to contest from 16 seats, including Wayanad

Congress leaders announcing UDF seat-sharing. (Screengrab)

Ignoring warnings by Kerala’s Left against Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in 2024, the Congress has decided to field a candidate from there. This is evident from the seat-sharing announcement by the United Democratic Front (UDF) on Wednesday, 28 February.

The Congress will contest 16 of the 20 parliamentary seats in Kerala, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly VD Satheesan said, announcing the pact with the UDF constituents. The candidates will be announced later.

Like in the previous polls, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second largest coalition partner in UDF, would contest in two seats – Malappuram and Ponnani, the LoP said while addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kerala Congress (Jacob) [KCJ(J)] and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) will contest from Kottayam and Kollam, respectively.

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The UDF seat-sharing

• In Kerala, the Congress will contest 16 out of the 20 Lok Sabha seats, while the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) will contest two seats, and the Kerala Congress (Jacob) [KCJ(J)] and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) will contest one seat each.
• KSU president Aloshiyus Xavier told South First that the list of candidates would be released within two days. KSU (Kerala Students Union) is the students’ wing of Congress in Kerala.
• The IUML leadership has recently expressed their demand for one more Lok Sabha seat and affirmed their decision not to backtrack.
• However, Kerala Congress state president, Satheesan, stated that issues were resolved through discussions, hinting that the IUML might be allotted a Rajya Sabha seat instead of the requested Lok Sabha seat.
• The IUML announced the candidature of its two sitting MPs for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, with ET Muhammed Basheer contesting from Malappuram and Abdul Samad Samadani from Ponnani. Both of them, who are sitting MPs are contesting by swapping their seats with each other.
• Additionally, the IUML will contest one seat in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, with IUML leader Navas Kani contesting from the Ramanathapuram constituency.

(With PTI inputs)