Multiple reasons; Congress candidate list to be announced only after declaration of election date

NEW DELHI: Indication that the Congress will announce its first list of candidates for the assembly elections only after the election date in March is declared. The Congress Central Election Committee meeting scheduled for Sunday in Delhi has been postponed due to this.

Muslim League leaders will hold discussions with the Congress high command tomorrow to resolve the confusion over seat sharing in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Congress had planned to announce the candidates for the sitting seats, except for Palakkad and Tripunithura, earlier, in the hope that the election date will be announced by the end of February.

The decision not to announce the candidates in a hurry is due to indications that the election announcement will be made in the first or second week of March. The leadership believes that if the candidates are announced early and the polling date is extended, the enthusiasm among the ranks will not be maintained until the polling day. If the announcement is made late, the campaign expenses will also be reduced. KPCC President Sunny Joseph, who arrived in Delhi the other day, had discussed these matters with the high command.

Kunhalikutty in Delhi

Muslim League leader P.K. Kunhalikutty has arrived in Delhi to discuss the proposal to swap some seats in Kerala and the dispute with DMK in Tamil Nadu. He will meet Rahul Gandhi tomorrow evening. Although it has been agreed to swap Chelakkara and Kongad, the ambiguity regarding Pattambi, Guruvayur, Chadayamangalam, Punalur, Tavanur and Thiruvambadi constituencies will be discussed.