The Congress on Thursday released its final list of 22 candidates for the Kochi Corporation elections, withholding announcements for two wards — Cheralayi and Ravipuram.
Announcing the list, District Congress Committee (DCC) president Muhammed Shiyas described the decision to leave out just two wards out of the 64 that the party is contesting as a “surprise.” However, the names of BJP dissident and six-time councillor Shyamala S. Prabhu and former Congress Mayor Soumini Jain have been circulating for Cheralayi and Ravipuram wards respectively. He added that all 62 Congress candidates would be formally presented by Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan at the DCC office on Friday evening.
V.K. Minimol, a multiple-term councillor whose absence was conspicuous in the first list of 40 candidates released earlier this week, has now been fielded from the newly delimited Palarivattom, a general ward. The sitting councillor from Vaduthala West, Henry Austin, will contest again from the same ward.
Mr. Shiyas said that the decision to field four candidates above the mandatory 38 out of the 76 wards in the Corporation reflected the party’s commitment to increasing women’s participation in decision-making, especially since the Mayor’s post remains reserved for women. However, Malini Kurup, a three-time sitting councillor from the Girinagar ward, was excluded, much to her disappointment.
