Kochi: The Congress party is moving swiftly to finalise its candidates for the upcoming Kochi Corporation elections, with the District Congress Committee (DCC) directing local units in West Kochi’s 32 divisions to hold ward meetings and submit names.

In recent days, Congress workers have convened across the wards to shortlist aspirants and forward their names to the DCC. District leaders have been assigned to oversee the ward-level meetings.

If only one name is proposed in a ward, that individual will receive the party’s nomination. However, in most wards, five to six aspirants have expressed interest, leaving the final decision to the district committee. The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) circular has also confirmed that the DCC holds full authority in this process.

Party sources said the leadership is puzzled that multiple candidates have emerged even from wards with little chance of victory.

The leadership reportedly prefers to field sitting councillors, such as Adv. Antony Kureethara, Bastin Babu, Abhilash Thoppil, and KA Manaf, but many of their current wards have been reserved, forcing the party to consider shifting them elsewhere. New names are also surfacing from these wards, complicating the selection process further.

Women’s reserved wards are witnessing a surge in applicants, with proposals including former councillors and individuals not formally affiliated with the party.

Leaders fear that a careless selection process could trigger rebellion among disappointed aspirants. The Congress believes that rebel candidates were a key factor in its loss in the previous corporation polls. This time, stricter measures are being taken to prevent similar issues, with clear instructions that ward meetings should end after names are recorded and that no extended discussions should take place.

All ward meetings in Kochi have been completed, and the lists have been handed over to the DCC. Opposition Leader VD Satheesan, who is overseeing the corporation elections, chaired the party’s core committee meeting on Monday. The committee finalised a few candidates, and the full list is expected to be announced on Tuesday.