The Kerala Congress (M), a constituent of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), on Monday, announced its candidates for all 12 seats which it will contest in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Alongside party chairman Jose K. Mani, the list also includes all five sitting legislators of the party. Mr. Mani, currently a Rajya Sabha member, will take on sitting legislator and Kerala Democratic Party leader Mani C. Kappan of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Pala. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has fielded Shone George in the seat.
Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine and government Chief Whip N. Jayaraj will seek re-election from their respective constituencies, Idukki and Kanjirappally. The other sitting legislators, Pramod Narayanan, Sebastian Kulathungal and Job Michael will also contest from their current seats, Ranni, Poonjar, and Changanassery.
New faces
Among the new faces, Biju Chirayath, a former Congress councillor in the Chalakudy municipality, will contest from Chalakudy, while Basil Paul has been fielded in Perumbavoor. Cyriac Chazhikadan, president of the Youth Front (M), will contest in Thodupuzha; Sabu K. Jacob in Piravom; and Nirmala Jimmy, former president of the Kottayam district panchayat, in Kaduthuruthy. In Irikkur, the lone seat allotted to the regional party in north Malabar, Mathew Kunnappally will contest.
In the election, the KC(M) is slated to come face to face with the Kerala Congress led by P.J. Joseph in three seats — Kaduthuruthy, Thodupuzha, and Changanassery. In Piravom, the KC(M) candidate is slated to battle it out with another Kerala Congress candidate, Anoop Jacob of the Kerala Congress (Jacob) group.
Published – March 16, 2026 07:52 pm IST
