Kochi: With an aim to regain power in Kerala, the Congress national leadership has ramped up preparations ahead of the Assembly Election likely to be held in April-May. The party leadership has classified the 140 constituencies in the state in terms of electoral prospects.
Congress, which propels the United Democratic Front (UDF) alliance, aims to secure 50 of the seats on its own, while counting on its ally Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) to get at least 20. The additional seats that may accrue from allies Kerala Congress (Joseph/Jacob factions), the Revolutionary Socialist Party and Communist Marxist Party (John) is certain to tip the numbers in the favour of the UDF.
A party or alliance of parties needs 71 seats to win the majority to form the government.
Of the total 140 constituencies, 50 have been labelled as Class A. Congress holds the 22 seats that its candidates had won and those which the alliance had lost by only a narrow margin in the previous Assembly polls in 2016. These are what the party has deemed 'must-win' seats. Here, the candidates will be chosen only on the basis of the probability of success. No other factor will influence the process, party sources said.
The District Congress Committees (DCCs), the party MPs and state election committee will select the candidates after assessing confidential surveys. The Central Selection Committee will take the final call.
The seats where the Front may stand a chance to win are labelled Class B seats and the strongholds of the opposition CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) make up the Class C.
The draft list of candidates is expected to be finalised when Congress' strongman and Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala's state rally draws to an end on February 22, 2021.
The final list for consideration is likely to be announced by the end of the month.