
New Delhi:Putting rumours to rest, senior Congress leader VM Sudheeran today said that he would not contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
After his discussions with the Congress leadership at New Delhi, the veteran leader said the media that he would stay away from the elections this time. Mr. Sudheeran also said that he had informed the party’s high command and the state leadership about his stand.
Meanwhile, the final screening committee meeting to select the UDF candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections is being held at New Delhi today.
The screening committee had met thrice till yesterday. The KPCC election committee had earlier submitted a panel of 69 candidates to the screening committee. By now, the committee was able to bring down the number of candidates in the panel. The list made in earlier meetings had listed more than two or three candidates in every constituency. According to the latest reports, at least in few constituencies only a single name is considered now.
Some prominent names chosen by the screening committee includes Shashi Tharoor, Kodikunnil Suresh, Shanimol Usman, G. Balachandran, Hibi Eden, PC Chacko and KP Dhanapalan. Author Shashi Tharoor’s name is considered for the Thiruvananthapuram constituency.
Reports also say that the committee has decided to give one seat for the K. Karunakaran division. Peethambara Kuruppu’s name is considered for the Kollam constituency from this division.
The screening committee would submit its final panel to the central election committee tomorrow. The central election committee meeting which would held under the leadership of Congress President Sonia Gandhi would approve this list. The party is expected to announce its final list of candidates tomorrow itself.