Congress shifts election strategy in Kerala: Rahul Gandhi mandates focus on Backward Communities

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi has issued a firm directive to the Congress Central Election Committee, mandating that winnable assembly seats in Kerala be allocated to candidates from backward communities. Moving forward, the party’s screening committee will submit its candidate list for a rigorous final review. The directive follows a meeting held on Wednesday evening, attended by KPCC President Sunny Joseph, Opposition Leader VD Satheesan, and Congress Working Committee member Ramesh Chennithala.

This directive follows a recent visit to the Sivagiri Mutt by Rahul Gandhi, where he received a memorandum from Swami Sachidananda, President of the Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust. The memorandum urged the party to provide due representation to backward communities in the upcoming elections. During the visit, Rahul assured the leadership of the Sivagiri Mutt that their concerns would be given serious consideration.

The party is currently navigating significant internal challenges regarding candidate selection. K. Babu, the incumbent MLA for Tripunithura and the only Ezhava representative within the Congress legislative group, has announced he will not seek re-election. Initial proposals to replace him with Ramesh Pisharody or party spokesperson Raju P. Nair met with considerable internal backlash, as party members protested the potential displacement of an Ezhava candidate from this seat. Consequently, the party is now evaluating M. Liju or Kochi Deputy Mayor Deepak Joy as prospective candidates for the constituency.

Meanwhile, the Ambalapuzha seat—previously contested by KPCC General Secretary M. Liju—is reportedly being kept vacant. This strategic move is intended to accommodate former minister G. Sudhakaran should he choose to run as an independent candidate, following his ongoing friction with the CPM leadership.

Tensions are also escalating regarding the Thiruvananthapuram assembly seat, a constituency viewed as a potential stronghold for the Congress. Senior party leaders and the District Congress Committee (DCC) have expressed strong opposition to proposals to allocate this seat to C.P. John, the General Secretary of the CMP. Among those under consideration for the seat is KPCC Senior Vice President T. Sarathchandra Prasad.

Political observers note that in the previous election, the CPM secured victories in the Varkala, Kazhakoottam, and Vattiyoorkavu constituencies, all of which featured candidates from the Ezhava community. Notably, the Congress-led front suffered a defeat in Kazhakoottam, the only seat it had allocated to an Ezhava candidate in the district.

As deliberations continue, former KPCC General Secretary G. Subodh has emerged as a contender for the Nedumangad seat. Furthermore, there is growing pressure from party activists to identify winnable candidates for the Chirayinkeezhu reserved seat, a constituency that has consistently eluded the Congress. KPCC member G. Leena, a prominent figure in local protests within the capital, has formally submitted her candidacy for this seat to both the High Command and the KPCC leadership.