Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi, March 1 Senior Congress leader V D Satheesan said on Sunday that the party would be able to announce its first list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly election before the poll notification is issued.
Speaking to reporters at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi, where he attended a meeting with AICC leaders on election preparations, Satheesan said the party would not make last-minute candidate announcements.
"We wanted the procedures to be completed earlier. But later we received information that the election notification would be delayed. Earlier, we had information that the election would be announced on March 1, but now it is said to be postponed to the second week of the month," he said.
He said that by the time the election announcement is made, the Congress will be ready with its final list of candidates.
"We have already created an atmosphere for announcing the first list of 50 candidates by now. In the second phase, the remaining candidates will be announced," he added.
Satheesan said that unlike in previous years, when leaders had to camp at the headquarters for weeks to finalise the list, the process would be faster this time.
When told that the CPI(M) would announce its candidates within a week, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, said the Congress could do the same.
Asked about Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan leading the election for the Left Front, Satheesan said the UDF also preferred that.
"Because when he leads the election, public sentiment against him will also reflect. If the leader changes, the anti-government sentiment may diffuse," he said.
He said there was nothing wrong in actor Mohanlal interviewing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, as both are prominent personalities.
Satheesan said the Congress expects the BJP not to win any seats in Kerala in the Assembly election.
Referring to the concerns of Non-Resident Keralites, he said he has sent an email to the Prime Minister highlighting the anxiety of people from the state in Gulf countries affected by the conflict in the Middle East.
"Everyone is tense about developments in the Middle East, which has a large diaspora from the state. The conflict has an impact on the Kerala diaspora as well as people from across India staying there," he said.
Satheesan said the Indian government should intervene to help end the conflict.
"India has a rich tradition of intervening in international affairs. I hope the Indian government can make a constructive intervention in the matter," he said.
He added that a country interfering in another country's sovereignty is not supported by Congress, now or in the past.
"This is an age when conflicts happen over financial interests rather than political interests. A war in any part of the world affects all countries," he said.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the Indian government should ensure the protection of the Indian community in the Middle East.
He said several people who panicked over the conflict have contacted him.
"There should be arrangements made at Indian embassies in Gulf countries to address the concerns of the Indian diaspora there," he said.
He also urged the Union government to take the initiative to help end the conflict.
