Congress is treating the 2026 Kerala Assembly Elections as a do-or-die battle, given its declining influence in Kerala in recent years. With the BJP attempting to gain a foothold in the state and the LDF maintaining its stronghold, the Congress leadership is under immense pressure to reassert its strength.
Published Mar 06, 2025 | 8:20 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 06, 2025 | 8:20 PM
Congress party is gearing up for an intense electoral battle.
Synopsis: The Indian National Congress has devised a multi-tiered strategy to revitalise its presence in Kerala, focusing on an aggressive campaign against the ruling Left Democratic Front ahead of the 2026 Assembly Elections. Senior leaders in the state, including VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, K Sudhakaran, and Shashi Tharoor, have been assigned key roles in sharpening political messaging, countering the LDF’s economic narrative, and strengthening grassroots mobilisation.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has devised a comprehensive and structured action plan to revitalise the party’s presence in Kerala ahead of the crucial local body and 2026 Assembly Elections.
Recognising the assembly polls as a decisive battle, the AICC has directed the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) to intensify its campaign against the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M))-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and reclaim lost ground.
Following a high-level meeting in Delhi with senior KPCC leaders, the AICC has formulated a multi-level strategy to strengthen the party’s grassroots outreach, sharpen its political messaging, and consolidate its vote base.
Leader of opposition in the Kerala assembly VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, KPCC president K Sudhakaran, and MP Shashi Tharoor have been assigned key roles in executing this mission.
Party insiders suggest that Congress is treating the 2026 Assembly Elections as a do-or-die battle, given its declining influence in Kerala in recent years.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attempting to gain a foothold in the state and the LDF maintaining its stronghold, the Congress leadership is under immense pressure to reassert its dominance.
The AICC’s plan includes an aggressive campaign strategy, direct engagement with voters, and the mobilisation of party workers at all levels to mount a formidable challenge against the ruling front.
In an effort to mount a formidable legislative challenge against the ruling LDF, the AICC has directed Satheesan and Chennithala to lead a coordinated attack in the state assembly.
The party has asked them to focus on exposing the LDF’s alleged financial mismanagement, administrative arrogance, and governance failures.
Satheesan, already recognised for his strong performance in the assembly and data-backed press meets, continues to gain appreciation from the AICC leadership.
According to party insiders, Congress is set to intensify its stance on key issues, including the state’s growing wild animal conflict, the CPI(M)’s perceived soft approach towards the BJP, and others pressing concerns such as the fishermen’s protest, rising incidents of ragging, violence, and drug abuse.
The duo’s recent joint protest in the assembly over ASHA workers’ rights signals this renewed strategy.
Recently, Shashi Tharoor’s comments about the LDF government’s industrial performance and praise of the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump stirred controversy within the Congress.
Now, the party has turned the tables by assigning him a key role in shaping its economic and industrial policy campaign.
Tharoor will spearhead efforts to counter what Congress terms the LDF’s “false propaganda” on industry, employment, and the economy, whilst positioning itself as pro-investment and pro-employment.
Adding to the economic debate, Congress has challenged the LDF’s claims of unprecedented growth in Kerala’s startup ecosystem, terming the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2024 (GSER 2024) a “paid report”.
The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) clarified that the $48,000 paid to Startup Genome since 2021 was a membership fee, not an attempt to influence the report’s findings.
KSUM also pointed out that states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana are members of the same global innovation network.
However, Congress remains critical of the methodology used in the report, arguing that it presents an exaggerated picture of growth by comparing post-pandemic figures with the lockdown period.
With Tharoor now leading the charge on economic policies, Congress aims to reshape the narrative around Kerala’s development while challenging the LDF’s claims on industrial progress.
K Sudhakaran is working on restructuring the party by engaging with former state presidents and senior leaders.
He has already met Mullappally Ramachandran, who had distanced himself from active politics, and plans discussions with VM Sudheeran, K Muraleedharan, and other veterans in the coming days.
The Congress leadership has also directed the KPCC to strengthen its ties with religious and social leaders, a move influenced by the BJP’s successful outreach to religious figures in the last Lok Sabha elections.
Kottayam MLA and senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan told South First, “The Congress’s plan for Kerala is entirely formulated by the high command, and every step will follow that framework.
“Currently, K Sudhakaran is actively engaging in discussions with Mullappally Ramachandran, VM Sudheeran, and others to refine the strategy. This time, we have a well-structured plan, and we are confident of returning to power.”
Kerala’s Christian leadership’s soft stance towards the BJP is a growing concern within Congress, which now aims to counter it with the support of the Muslim League to rebalance community equations.
The party is also focusing on Nair and Ezhava voter bases, recognising their importance in booth-level mobilisation.
Poor performance in districts such as Kozhikode and Kollam remains a major challenge, prompting the party to revitalise booth and constituency committees for a stronger grassroots presence.
These measures are expected to gain momentum after the Mahatma Gandhi Family Meet, a Congress-organised cultural event honouring Gandhi’s legacy and encouraging cultural interactions over political discourse.
Meanwhile, with the political battle increasingly shifting to the digital space, the AICC has directed young Congress leaders to intensify their social media campaigns, aiming to connect with first-time voters and counter the LDF’s digital outreach.
Previously, the KPCC media wing was led by Anil Antony, who later joined the BJP and now serves as its national spokesperson.
His successor, P Sarin, switched to the CPI(M) after being denied a ticket to contest the Palakkad by-polls.
Now, former Thrithala MLA VT Balram has been appointed KPCC Digital Media convenor, leading a dedicated team active on platforms such as X and Facebook.
However, Congress recognises the need to expand its presence on emerging platforms such as Instagram and Threads to better engage young and first-time voters.
Under Balram’s leadership, the digital media team has been assigned a 24/7 campaign strategy to amplify the party’s messaging and enhance its outreach.
Speaking to South First, Balram said the new action plan is primarily designed for the upcoming elections. However, he emphasised that the Congress in Kerala has already established a strong presence in the digital space.
“We have nearly 22,000 booth presidents, and a team of 8 to 12 members from each area actively contributing ideas for digital space on a daily basis. But our efforts are not limited to social media, we also organise conventions at the grassroots level,” he said.
While digital cell expansion may be an election specific strategy for other states, Balram asserted that for the Congress, it is an ongoing process.
“We have a significant number of followers in digital spaces. If AICC’s special plan requires further discussion, we will focus specifically on the issues they highlight,” he added.
With this focused digital push, Congress is gearing up for a high-stakes electoral battle.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
