Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor and former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki are two of the prominent names in the fourth list of candidates released by Congress for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

While Tharoor will contest from his constituency, Tuki has been fielded from Arunachal West constituency.

The former Arunachal CM will take on sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju.

Among the names in the list released on Saturday night is former minister James Lowangcha Wanglet, who will contest from Arunachal East constituency. He replaces senior Congress leader Ninong Ering.

The list of 27 names included 7 from Uttar Pradesh, 12 from Kerala, 5 from Chhattisgarh and 1 from Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

In Chhattisgarh, which has a Congress government, the party fielded Khel Sai Singh from Surguja, Laljeet Singh Rathia from Raigarh, Ravi Bhardwaj from Janjgir-Champa, Deepak Baij from Bastar and Biresh Thakur from Kanker.

The notable exclusion in the 12 names Congress fielded from Kerala was of former Union Minister KV Thomas. The MP from Ernakulam has been replaced by Hibi Eden.

Most of its eight sitting MPs have been re-nominated.

Besides Tharoor, the candidates from Kerala are:

Rajmohan Unnithan – Kasaragod

K Sudhakaran – Kannur

MK Raghavan – Kozhikode

VK Sreekantan – Palakkad

Ms Remya Haridas – Alathur (SC)

TN Prathapan – Thrissur

Benny Bahanan – Chalakudy

Hibi Eden – Ernakulam

Dean Kuriakose – Idukki

Kodikunnil Suresh – Mavelikkara (SC)

Anto Antony – Pathanamthitta

Allies in the Congress-led United Democratic Front have fielded candidates in the remaining four seats –   Indian Union Muslim League 2, and the Revolutionary Socialist Party and the Kerala Congress-Mani one each.

Polling in Kerala will be held on 23 April in a single phase in the seven-phased Lok Sabha elections.

In Uttar Pradesh, the party has fielded Arvind Singh Chauhan from Gautam Budha Nagar, Indira Bhatti from Bijnor, Om Prakash Sharma from Meerut, Brijender Singh from Aligarh, Pritam Lodhi from Hamirpur, Bal Krishna Chauhan from Ghosi and Harender Malik from Kairana.

Polling in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state by number of constituencies, will be held in seven-phases starting from 11 April and ending on 19 May.

Congress fielded Kuldeep Rai Sharma from Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The five candidates from Chhattisgarh are:

Khel Sai Singh – Surguja (ST)

Laljeet Singh Rathia – Raigarh (ST)

Ravi Bhardwaj – Jangir-Champa (SC)

Deepak Baij – Bastar (ST)

Biresh Thakur – Kanker (ST)

The Congress-ruled state goes to polls in three phases on 11, 18 and 23 April.