Kerala Congress Begins Candidate Screening for 2026 Assembly Polls

Speaking to the media, Joseph said, "We have sent people to many places. We have held discussions in many places in Kerala. We have given recommendations to many places. We held discussions and gave recommendations. We will submit the recommendations. Nothing more. High Command will decide all that."

On the criteria of the candidate selection process, Joseph said that, "There are several criteria. Winnability will be the utmost criteria."The Kerala Congress screening committee meeting was held on Sunday in Delhi at 11 AM for the Selection of Probable Candidates for the upcoming Kerala Assembly election.The meeting was attended by Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Chief, Congress Legislative Party (CLP) Leader and other Senior Leaders of the state, along with Screening committee members.

Madhusudan Mistry is the chairperson of the AICC Screening Committee for the 2026 Kerala Assembly Elections.

The screening committee plays a crucial role in the candidate selection process, evaluating potential candidates based on their winnability, grassroots connect, and contribution to the party before recommending names to the Congress high command for final approval.The meeting assumes significance as the Kerala Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in the first half of 2026, and political parties are in the process of finalizing their candidates for the polls.

Joseph also commented on the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, expressing sorrow for any Keralites in the Middle East who might be facing trouble amid the escalating tensions. "We are very much sorry that the world order is in trouble and the Malayali people are in a very troublesome situation in the Gulf countries as well as in other countries, and we request all the concerned to stop this atmosphere of war, killing innocent people.we are all very much worried about that because there is a large diaspora of Malayalis and Indians also, definitely, more Malayalis are there and everywhere we are contacting all the organisations, they are all expressing their concern over the war. So we requested the Prime Minister also, I have sent a mail to initiate the central government to stop the war also," he said.

"We are all, we have expressed our concern over these things. The people are calling, they are very panicked, all the people, those who are, and their relatives in Kerala are all very panicked. We are very much worried about that," Joseph added. The situation has heightened fears of a wider regional conflict, with emergency measures and public anxiety spreading as developments continue to unfold. Israel declared a nationwide state of emergency, moving hospitals underground and activating sirens. Iran, Israel, and Iraq have closed their airspace, suspending all flights.

- ANI