A senior Congress insider told South First that the party has made a conscious decision to move away from fielding “channel faces” in this election.
Published Nov 16, 2025 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 16, 2025 | 8:00 AM
![[LTR] Reshma C, Vaishna Suresh, Prof Neethu Raghuvaran, Akhika A.](https://s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media.thesouthfirst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Kerala-Local-Body-Polls.jpg "Kerala Local Body Polls")
[LTR] Reshma C, Vaishna Suresh, Prof Neethu Raghuvaran, Akhika A.
Synopsis: The Congress in Kerala has launched an early campaign for the upcoming local body elections, putting forward a slate dominated by fresh faces and a significant number of women in an effort to challenge the Left Democratic Front’s entrenched hold. Senior leaders are steering strategy, but candidate selection has been driven largely by grassroots inputs, marking a shift away from high-visibility media personalities towards individuals with strong local connections.
Last-minute candidate lists, the return of old faces and a relatively conservative strategy have long defined the usual Congress approach during elections, whether a bypoll, local body poll or Lok Sabha contest. But this time, the party in Kerala seems to have changed the script.
Starting early, reworking its strategies and putting together a well-arranged chessboard, the Congress has drawn attention with a wave of fresh faces. From the capital Thiruvananthapuram to Kozhikode, young leaders are not only taking the spotlight but are even preparing to take on senior figures from rival fronts.
The shift brings new energy to the grand old party as it looks to end the ruling Left Democratic Front’s dominance. But the Congress experimentation in such a crucial election also carries its share of risks.
Of the total 1,200 local self-governing bodies in Kerala, comprising 21,893 wards, 941 village panchayats, 14 district panchayats, 152 block panchayats, 87 municipalities and six corporations, the LDF secured a landslide victory in the previous polls in 2020, winning 514 village panchayats, 108 block panchayats, 11 district panchayats and five corporations.
A year later, the front rode that wave to win 99 of the 140 Assembly seats in the Assembly elections.
The Congress in Kerala kicked off its campaign early, even before the poll dates were announced.
The state unit has begun groundwork in major cities, including Thiruvananthapuram, where over 60 candidates, a blend of experienced leaders and fresh faces, have been announced for the municipal corporation. Former MLA KS Sabarinadhan has been projected as the mayoral candidate.
The campaign in Thiruvananthapuram is being coordinated by senior leader K Muraleedharan, while VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala are overseeing Ernakulam and Kozhikode respectively.
Though senior leaders head the strategy, the candidate list features a notable presence of young contenders, especially women, signalling a generational shift.
Among the prominent new faces are Vaishna Suresh, Reshma C, Prof Neethu Raghuvaran and Akhila A from Thiruvananthapuram, and Anjana NV from Kozhikode, most tasked with challenging CPI(M) strongholds in their wards.
An AICC source told South First that the inclusion of more women and youth was part of a directive from the party’s central leadership.
“The AICC has given clear instructions to select candidates wisely – with more women and those under 40, even in general wards of major corporations like Kochi. The nomination of Sabarinadhan as the mayoral candidate itself shows the importance Congress attaches to this election,” the source said.
KPCC general secretary Sandeep Warrier added that the early candidate announcement without internal disputes highlights the party’s preparedness.
“We are taking this election very seriously. Senior leaders are directly in charge, and our early start shows that planning is in place,” he said.
A senior Congress insider, on condition of anonymity, told South First that the party has made a conscious decision to move away from fielding “channel faces” in this election.
“Congress has experimented with media figures before, even giving an MLA seat to Rahul Mamkoottathil, who was well known to TV audiences. But how many grassroots workers really knew him? How many people connected with him directly? This time, the decision is clear, only those with real people’s connections, not channel debate popularity,” he said.
Akhil JS, a KPCC member from Thiruvananthapuram and part of the candidate selection committee, told South First that 99 percent of the candidates were chosen based on suggestions from grassroots workers.
“Their recommendations were the top priority, they know the local pulse better than anyone. For the past seven months, under K Muraleedharan’s leadership, our team has been working tirelessly to identify the most suitable candidates,” Akhil explained.
The selection process involved multiple core committees, from booth to district levels, who evaluated each potential candidate based on local influence, demography and community balance.
“Each name was handpicked after careful analysis. A majority of our young candidates are women,” he added.
The Congress is also making a strong digital push this time. Candidates have been directed to lead their own social media campaigns instead of relying on PR agencies.
“We trust our candidates to speak for themselves online. This local body election is a do-or-die battle for the Congress,” the party insider said.
Among the fresh faces handpicked by the Congress to lead its assault on the CPI(M) seats is Kerala Student Union (KSU) district vice president Vaishna.
A techie by profession and pursuing a law degree, the 24-year-old is contesting for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation from the Muttada ward.
When South First caught up with her, she was in full campaign mode, confident and prepared to face the people.
“Serving people is more important than focusing on my career. Even during my KSU days, I used to skip classes to participate in protests but still performed well academically. Now too, I continue my studies. There are examples like MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan, who practices law alongside politics, and KS Sabarinadhan, who recently enrolled as a lawyer,” she said on her step into politics, while balancing a career in the tech industry.
“So, there’s no real conflict between career and politics – both can go hand in hand. Arya Rajendran became mayor at 21, age doesn’t matter, it’s all about political understanding.”
In Kozhikode, 25-year-old Anjana PV was still coming to terms with her sudden entry into the electoral race, her candidature from Edakkad ward on a Congress ticket having been announced just a few hours earlier.
“I’m still surprised, but I’ll start the campaign from tomorrow. Along with door-to-door visits, I plan to use social media effectively,” she told South First.
Unlike Vaishna, Anjana is not a seasoned student leader. A commerce graduate and a familiar face in her ward, she was only a KSU supporter during college. Yet, both Anjana and Vaishna now face the uphill task of winning back CPI(M)-held seats.
Meanwhile, in Kozhikode, Prasanth, a social media content creator, is contesting from the East Hill ward. Known for his viral parody song on ‘migrant workers’, he describes his entry into politics as accidental.
“I never thought I’d enter politics. I was a stage performer, mimicry artist and content creator focused on social issues. We didn’t get any special training from the party, but being on stage helps me connect with people,” he told South First.
“The challenge today is that everything is recorded – one must speak carefully because proof will speak later. My ward is reserved, and that’s one reason I got this opportunity.”
Mini Mohan, a political ground researcher and activist, told South First that the rise of young blood in Kerala’s local body elections could alter the face of state politics, especially against the global backdrop of Gen Z’s political awakening across South Asia.
“Gen Z has the courage to speak up – that’s commendable. But their stability is still in question,” she observed. “Wisdom comes with time, as their prefrontal cortex is still developing. Naturally, their decisions reflect that inconsistency.”
Mini pointed to the example of Arya Rajendran, who recently stepped down as the mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation after the polls were announced, having become the youngest mayor in India’s history when she was elected to the post in 2020 at the age of 21.
Arya Rajendran
“Everyone praised and celebrated Arya nationally, but we must ask, has she truly been able to perform independently? Most of her decisions were guided by party frameworks and senior leaders’ influence,” she said.
“Still, Arya was a game changer. Her entry gave every party, especially the Congress, the confidence to field more young candidates, particularly women.”
Mini added that even grassroots positions like councillor or panchayat member demand deep understanding.
“These are not lesser roles. Leaders at this level must know how to negotiate, understand policy and manage central funds. It’s good to welcome youngsters into politics, they should learn the process, face the risks and participate in policymaking, but all within a proper monitoring system,” she said.
However, it is evident that while the Congress focuses on new faces in the state capital, the LDF is experimenting in another major corporation, Kochi, announcing 70 candidates with 56 percent women, signalling a woman mayor.
The list features nine sitting and 16 former councillors, and seven candidates under 40, including a husband and wife duo of former Congress leaders. Key names include advocates Deepa Varma, P Anita and Aji Francis.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
