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VD Satheesan Files Nomination for Kerala Polls, Congress Announces Key Candidates

Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan has filed his nomination papers from the Paravur constituency, aiming for a sixth consecutive term. The Congress party has announced multiple lists of candidates, including K Muraleedharan and Sunny Joseph, for the upcoming 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections. The elections, scheduled for April 9, 2026, will see the incumbent CPI(M)-led LDF government attempting to secure a third consecutive term, a feat not achieved in decades. The 2021 election saw the LDF, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, retain power, marking the first time since 1977 a ruling alliance won back-to-back terms in Kerala.

Key Points: VD Satheesan Files Nomination for Kerala Assembly Elections

  • Satheesan files from Paravur
  • Congress releases candidate lists
  • LDF seeks third term
  • 2026 polls set for April 9
  • 2021 saw historic LDF re-election
3 min read

Senior Congress leader VD Satheesan files nomination for Kerala assembly polls

Senior Congress leader VD Satheesan files nomination from Paravur as Congress announces candidates for the 2026 Kerala assembly polls.

"He is hoping to secure his sixth consecutive victory."

Ernakulam, March 23

Kerala Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader VD Satheesan on Monday filed his nomination papers from the Paravur constituency for the upcoming state assembly polls.

He is hoping to secure his sixth consecutive victory.

Congress on Thursday announced its second list of 37 candidates.

As per the released list, TO Mohanan is contesting from Kannur, Senapathy Venu from Udumbanchola, and Santhakumar from the Adoor (SC) seat. While Sandeep Varier is contesting from Trikaripur, M Liju is running from Kayamkulam, and Abin Varkey from Aranmula.

In the first list, Congress has announced 55 candidates. The party fielded Kerala Congress Committee President Sunny Joseph from the Peravoor seat. Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan has been fielded from the Paravur seat.

K Muraleedharan, former MP and son of veteran Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Kerala, K Karunakaran, from the Vattiyoorkavu seat.

The 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 9, the Election Commission of India announced on March 15, with the counting of votes scheduled to take place on May 4.

The tenure of the current assembly is scheduled to end on May 23.

The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into place, setting in process elections to the 140-member State Assembly, which is also known as the Kerala Niyamasabha.

Both the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the Congress-led United Democratic Front seek to unseat the incumbent CPI(M)-led LDF and gain control of the 140-member assembly. The LDF-led government has governed the state for around a decade.

In the Kerala Legislative Assembly election, held in a single phase on April 6, 2021, with results being declared on May 2, 2021. The incumbent LDF retained power with 99 seats, marking the first time since 1977 that a ruling alliance secured consecutive terms in the state. The UDF won 41 seats, while the NDA saw a decline in vote share and lost its only seat in the Assembly. Following the victory, Pinarayi Vijayan became the first Chief Minister of Kerala to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term in office.

In terms of vote share, the LDF received 41.5 per cent of the total votes, significantly ahead of the UDF, which secured 38.4 per cent. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), secured 11.4 per cent of the votes but failed to win a single seat in the election.

Among individual parties in 2021, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) emerged as the single largest party with 62 seats and a vote share of 25.5 per cent. The Indian National Congress (INC) won 21 seats with a comparable vote share of 25.2 per cent, while the Communist Party of India (CPI) secured 17 seats. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key UDF ally, won 15 seats.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting to see the dynamics in Kerala. It's one of the few states where the national BJP wave hasn't really translated into seats, despite a decent vote share. The real fight seems to be between the two traditional fronts. Hope the focus remains on development issues.
P
Priya S
While I respect Satheesan's experience, I wish parties would give more chances to fresh faces instead of the same leaders contesting again and again. Kerala's politics needs new energy and ideas, not just legacy candidates. 🙏
V
Vikram M
The LDF has done a fairly good job, especially during the floods and pandemic. Pinarayi Vijayan's re-election last time was historic. It will be a tough fight for Congress to break that momentum. The candidate lists are just the first step.
R
Rohit P
Good to see the process starting. As a voter, my main concerns are unemployment for the youth and infrastructure. Hope all candidates focus on these real issues instead of just political rhetoric. All the best to all contestants!
K
Karthik V
The 2021 results show how fragmented the vote share is. Congress and CPI(M) had nearly identical vote shares but a huge seat difference! This first-past-the-post system can be so unpredictable. Let's see if BJP can finally open its account this time.

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