The high command has also emphasised merit-based candidate selection, minimising the influence of seniority or group loyalties.
Published Dec 17, 2025 | 1:41 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 17, 2025 | 1:41 PM
Congress leaders during an event in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. (X)
Synopsis: The Congress high command is set to take a stronger role in the Kerala unit ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. The central leadership’s engagement from voter enrolment drives to resolving district-level disputes was seen as a template for the Assembly polls.
Eyeing a comeback in Kerala, the Congress high command is set to take a stronger role in the state unit ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. After its direct involvement in the recent local body elections, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) plans to influence candidate selection, campaign strategy, and election funding, aiming to tackle internal factionalism and organisational weaknesses.
“This was the first time the AICC closely monitored local body elections”, said AICC General Secretary (Organisation) and Alappuzha MP KC Venugopal.
The central leadership’s engagement from voter enrolment drives to resolving district-level disputes was seen as a template for the Assembly polls. Deepa Dasmunsi, the AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, stayed extensively in the state, coordinating grassroots efforts.
The high command has also emphasised merit-based candidate selection, minimising the influence of seniority or group loyalties.
Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi reportedly instructed that a chief ministerial candidate would not be projected before the polls, with the legislative party later choosing its leader.
Funds were also provided systematically, ₹1 lakh for district panchayat candidates, ₹25,000 for block panchayats, ₹10,000 for municipalities, and ₹60,000 for corporation candidates, with extra support for highly winnable seats.
Out of a total of 1,200 local bodies in Kerala — 941 grama panchayats, 152 block panchayats, 14 district panchayats, 87 municipalities, and six corporations — the UDF secured control over 649 in the recently concluded polls, giving it a clear numerical edge.
The UDF’s strongest performance came at the grama panchayat level, where it won 505 out of 941 bodies. It also took control of 79 block panchayats and emerged victorious in seven of the 14 district panchayats, indicating rural and semi-urban support. In urban local bodies, the UDF won 54 municipalities and four corporations, consolidating its position in towns and major cities.
Party leaders described the outcome as a joint victory for the team Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and team UDF, demonstrating the effectiveness of the central leadership’s hands-on approach.
(With inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman.)
