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Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood has applied to be a regional list candidate in next year’s National Assembly election, it has been confirmed.

Ms Wood, who has represented South Wales Central since 2003, will also seek election in Rhondda, a seat currently held by Labour’s Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews.

Two years ago Ms Wood announced she would be standing only in Rhondda.

Dual candidacy ban lifted

At that time there was a ban on candidates standing for constituency and regional seats simultaneously.

Then, the Plaid leader’s decision to give up her safe regional seat for a tilt at a constituency seat where Labour has a 6,000+ majority was seen as courageous.

Since then, however, the law has changed to make “dual candidacy” permissible.

Plaid Cymru has now closed nominations for would-be regional list candidates wishing to stand in the 2016 Assembly election, and selections in all five regions will take place before the end of July.

A Plaid spokeswoman confirmed that Ms Wood had applied to be a regional list candidate in South Wales Central. It would be a major surprise if she failed to retain her top place on the list.

Neil McEvoy, Plaid’s group leader on Cardiff council, is expected to be in a tight contest with the party’s national chair Dafydd Trystan for second spot on the South Wales Central list.

Another interesting contest is expected in South Wales West, where sitting AM Bethan Jenkins is facing a challenge from former AM Dr Dai Lloyd for first place on the list.

Responding to the news that Ms Wood will be seeking selection in South Wales Central, Leighton Andrews said: “I will only be standing for the Rhondda constituency. If others want to take advantage of the new Tory law to stand in two places, then I don’t think the people of the Rhondda will be impressed.

“I think all candidates standing for the National Assembly should have the courage of their convictions, not seek a second go somewhere else. It’s the Rhondda or nothing, for me.”

A Labour/Plaid coalition deal?

Despite the intense rivalry between Labour and Plaid, there is a chance the parties could be in coalition again after next year’s election. Labour currently holds half the Assembly’s seats.

If the party has a bad election and needs a coalition partner, Plaid is likely to be the only realistic option. As things stand, the Lib Dems probably would not win enough seats to provide Labour with a majority.

Such an outcome would be ironic, given Ed Miliband’s repeated assertions during the general election campaign that he would not “do deals with separatists”.