Cong CEC clears Rahul from Wayanad; Ex-CM Baghel to enter LS fray

Congress Central Election Committee has cleared the first list of about 60 party candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, including Rahul Gandhi from his sitting seat Wayanad. The list is expected to be released on Friday or Saturday. The CEC will decide the question of Rahul Gandhi also contesting from Amethi when it takes up the proposals for Uttar Pradesh later.

After the CEC meeting ended late Thursday night, party sources said almost all 15 sitting Congress MPs of Kerala will fight again this time. The only exception may be in Thrissur from where sitting MP TN Pratapan could be replaced by sitting MP of Vadakara K Muralidharan. This as seen as a precaution against late Congress veteran K Karunakaran's daughter Padmaja Venugopal, joining BJP and reinforcing the party's best bet Sureshgopi's chances in Thrissur. The political heavyweight Muralisharan is the son of Karunakaran besides being a former PCC president.

Another significant decision is CEC clearing the proposal of AICC general secretary (org) K C Venugopal, now a Rajya Sabha member, returning to fight from his Alappuzha seat. But if the leaderdhip once again asks Venugopal to focus on AICC organisational matters during election campaign, the seat will go to his nominee from the state Youth Congress.


The CEC also decided to field former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel from Rajnandgaon seat.