The Indian National Congress has released a new list of candidates for the Kerala Assembly Election 2026, naming a total of 37 candidates. This is the party’s second list for the election.
With this announcement, the party has finalized candidates for a total of 92 seats so far, including the 55 candidates named in its first list released on March 17. The Kerala Legislative Assembly has 140 seats. Polling is scheduled for April 9, 2026, and counting of votes will take place on May 4.
Senior Congress leader and Kannur Member of Parliament K. Sudhakaran has not been included in the list. Sudhakaran had sought a ticket to contest from the Kannur constituency and had maintained his demand. He later stated that he would accept whatever decision the party takes. The party, however, did not nominate him and instead fielded T O Mohanan from Kannur.
From the Nemom constituency, the party has nominated Sabarinadhan.
In the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, the Congress contested 93 seats while leaving the remaining seats to its alliance partners. The party won 21 seats in that election.
Kumbhakudi Sudhakaran, commonly known as K. Sudhakaran, is a senior leader of the Kerala Congress. He has been elected as Member of Parliament from Kannur three times, in 2009, 2019, and 2024. He has also served as president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and has been elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly four times. He has held ministerial positions in Kerala, including portfolios of Forest and Sports.
Despite his electoral record and political experience in the Kannur region, the party has not fielded him in the current election. His exclusion has led to discussions among local party workers and supporters.
The Congress and its alliance partners are preparing their electoral strategy for the Kerala Assembly Election 2026. The party has selected candidates taking into account constituency-level considerations, local population factors, and organizational presence. The nominations of T O Mohanan and Sabarinadhan are part of this approach.
The party aims to improve its performance compared to the previous assembly election and secure a higher number of seats in the legislature. Door-to-door campaigning, focus on local issues, and candidate-level support are expected to be factors influencing the outcome.
