"Will make sure BJP doesn't open its account in Kerala": Congress leader VD Satheesan

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], March 8 (ANI):Soon after the Congress announced its first list comprising 39 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader and Kerala Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan said on Friday that the grand old party would make sure that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) doesn't "open its account" in the state in the election.
"There is anti-incumbency against the central government and state government in Kerala. Last time, we won 19 out of 20 seats. This time we aim to score 20/20," Satheesan said while speaking to ANI.
"The BJP is trying to win some seats in Kerala. The CPM-led LDF is trying to make room for the BJP here. We will make sure the BJP won't open their account in Kerala," he added.
Earlier today, the Congress released its first list comprising 39 candidates for the coming Lok Sabha polls.
The names have been announced for Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshwadeep, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Telangana and Tripura.
Of the total 39 candidates announced, 16 are from Kerala, seven from Karnataka and six from Chhattisgarh, four from Telangana. Two from Meghalaya and one each from Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim and Lakshwadeep.
A total of 16 candidates have been announced from Kerala, including Shashi Tharoor from Thiruvananthapuram, who is set to contest BJP leader and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar, and Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad, the seats they won in 2019.
In the Lok Sabha polls in 2019, the grand old party bagged 19 out of 20 seats in Kerala, while the BJP failed to open its account in the state. However, the BJP gained a vote share of 15%.
The BJP, in its first candidate list of 195 names, fielded 12 candidates from Kerala.
The Lok Sabha polls are slated to be held in April-May this year. (ANI)