The party, which has traditionally commanded strong support among Christian voters in Central Kerala, now faces an unprecedented threat to its political survival. Political observers believe the collapse of Kerala Congress (M) could create fresh opportunities for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, which has been steadily expanding its influence among the influential Christian voter base in the state.
Kerala Congress (M) has long been regarded as one of Kerala’s most influential regional political parties, with deep roots among Christian farming communities across Central Travancore, particularly in Kottayam, Pala, Idukki and Pathanamthitta. The party emerged from multiple splits within the original Kerala Congress, formed in 1964 to represent the interests of farmers, plantation owners and Syrian Christian communities.
The “M” in Kerala Congress (M) stands for KM Mani, the veteran leader who transformed the faction into a dominant political force in Kerala politics. For decades, the party played the role of kingmaker, shifting alliances while maintaining a loyal support base in Central Kerala.
Following the death of KM Mani in 2019, leadership passed to his son, Jose K Mani, who later shifted the party from the Congress-led United Democratic Front to the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front. The decision triggered divisions within the party and dissatisfaction among sections of its traditional support base.
That political gamble now appears to have backfired severely.
For the second consecutive Assembly election, Kerala Congress (M) failed to reclaim Pala, the constituency represented by KM Mani for more than five decades. This time, sitting legislator Mani C Kappan defeated Jose K Mani by nearly 3,000 votes.
The electoral setback triggered open rebellion within the party, with leaders openly questioning both Jose K Mani’s leadership and the controversial alliance with the Left Democratic Front.
The crisis deepened after Kerala Congress (M) failed to secure even a single seat among the 12 constituencies it contested under the Left Democratic Front banner. Several ministers and senior leaders from the party also suffered defeats, reducing the once-powerful regional force to zero representation in the Assembly.
Senior leaders within the organisation have privately admitted that the crushing defeat has severely damaged cadre morale. Many believe the party steadily lost its independent political identity after joining the Left Democratic Front.
The humiliation became more pronounced when compared with the performance of the rival faction led by PJ Joseph. While Jose K Mani’s faction failed to open its account, the PJ Joseph-led faction secured victory in seven out of eight constituencies contested under the United Democratic Front banner.
The comparison has intensified criticism against the current leadership and fuelled growing unrest within the party ranks.
State committee member Jayakrishnan Puthiyedath publicly blamed senior leader Roshy Augustine for the party’s decline and accused the leadership of wasting opportunities to return to the United Democratic Front. His remarks exposed the deepening internal divisions following the election disaster.
Party leaders have also pointed to deteriorating relations with influential sections of the Christian Church leadership. Although Kerala Congress (M) traditionally enjoyed strong support from church groups across Central Travancore, that backing failed to translate into electoral gains during the latest election.
The party additionally struggled to maintain smooth coordination with Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers at the grassroots level after joining the Left Democratic Front. Local tensions repeatedly surfaced in Pala and neighbouring regions, with several leaders privately admitting that the alliance never achieved genuine integration on the ground.
The defeat in Pala carries enormous symbolic significance for Kerala Congress (M). KM Mani won the constituency 13 times and built the party into a formidable political force from the region. Since his death in 2019, however, the party has steadily weakened in its traditional stronghold.
The 2019 by-election marked the first major warning sign when divisions within both the party and the alliance enabled Mani C Kappan, then the Left Democratic Front candidate, to secure victory. In 2021, after Jose K Mani shifted to the Left Democratic Front and Kappan moved to the United Democratic Front, the party anticipated a political recovery in Pala. That recovery never materialised.
The latest election delivered another severe setback as Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Shone George sharply increased the party’s vote share in the constituency. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s vote tally surged from nearly 10,000 in 2021 to more than 34,000 in the latest election, further damaging Kerala Congress (M)’s electoral prospects.
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