With seat-sharing talks with the Kerala Congress going nowhere, the early confidence boost in the United Democratic Front (UDF) camp seems to be waning. As negotiations drag on without resolution, the upbeat mood that followed the party’s encouraging performance in the recent local elections now threatens to dull that edge.
According to Congress leaders, the long delay in finalizing the seat-sharing formula between the Congress and the Kerala Congress (Joseph) faction has effectively stalled the candidate selection process. What was planned as a calibrated and confident deployment of candidates instead turned into a wait for many seats.
At the heart of the tussle is the question of who gets what. There is strong speculation that the Congress wants to take over at least a few seats currently held by the Kerala Congress, though neither party has publicly committed to specific figures. Privately, however, Congressional officials have said that the current arrangement cannot continue without change.
Ettumanoor, Changanassery
Ettumanoor and Changanassery emerged as pressure points. The Congress leadership is understood to be particularly keen on these constituencies, citing what it sees as the absence of formidable candidates for the Kerala Congress.
Although negotiations remain inconclusive, the Kottayam District Congress Committee has moved forward with its own foundations. It has drawn up a provisional list covering seven of the nine constituencies in the district, including Ettumanoor and Changanassery, and handed it over to the KPCC.
Currently, the leadership has accommodated only two non-Congress UDF figures, Kerala Congress Executive President Mons Joseph in Kaduthuruthy and Kerala Democratic Party President Mani C. Kappan in Pala.
Kottayam, Puthuppally
MLAs Chandy Oommen in Puthuppally and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan in Kottayam secured their seats on the KPCC list submitted to the National Screening Committee and both wasted little time in going into campaign mode. “Chandy Oommen has set the tone in Puthuppally with Puthuppally Fest, a cultural outreach programme. In Kottayam, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan has started consolidating his base through a series of meetings across the constituency,” a senior Congress official pointed out.
But while incumbents are moving forward with visible momentum, several other segments remain shrouded in indecision. “The original plan was to have at least a tentative list ready before the opposition leader’s rally reaches the district. That timeline has shifted. The rally is nearing its end but even the outlines of vacancies are not clear,” the leader added.
In Poonjar, KPCC general secretary Tommy Kallani is in contention. In Kanjirapappally and Ettumanoor, senior leader Joseph Vazhakkan is being considered and Nattakam DCC president Suresh Changanassery has his own shortlist, including district panchayat president Joshy Philip and UDF convener Philson Mathews.
But the plot thickens in Kanjirapally as the AICC leadership has reportedly proposed AICC secretary Mathew Antony based on the results of an internal survey.
In Vaikom, DCC recommended district panchayat member Vijayamma Babu and Bijimon. Yet KPCC is also mulling the possibility of fielding Dalit activist Sunny Kapikad, underscoring a broader effort to recalibrate social equations.
Published – 02 March 2026 20:56 IST
