Surf Wiki
Save to docs
politics

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Kerala Congress

FieldValue
party_nameKerala Congress
party_logo[[File:Kerala-Congress-flag.svg200pxborder]]
colorcode
abbreviationKC
foundation
chairpersonP. J. Joseph
loksabha_leaderK. Francis George
headquartersState Committee Office,
eciState Party
alliance* UDF (1964-1989), (2010-Present)
loksabha_seats
rajyasabha_seats
state_seats_nameKerala Legislative Assembly
state_seats
ideologyLiberalism
Regionalism
youthKerala Youth Front
studentsKerala Students Congress
womenKerala Vanitha Congress
labourKerala Trade Union Congress
coloursWhite and red
symbol[[File:Auto Rickshaw Election Symbol.svg100px]]Political position=Centre
  • K. M. George
  • R. Balakrishna Pillai
  • Mathachan Kuruvinakunnel
  • Mannathu Padmanabha Pillai
  • Vayala Idiculla

Near Star Theatre junction, Kottayam, Kerala

  • LDF (1989-2010)
  • NDA (2016-2021)
  • INDIA (2023-present) Regionalism

Kerala Congress is an Indian political party founded in Kottayam, Kerala on 9 October 1964, by a block of former Indian National Congress leaders led by K. M. George. The party is primarily active in central Kerala. Initially its main support came from the Syrian Christians and the Nair community of southern Kerala.

The establishment of the Kerala Congress could be traced to the resignation and later death of P. T. Chacko, the Home Minister in the R. Sankar-led Congress ministry (1962–64). Fifteen rebel Congress Members of the Legislative Assembly subsequently supported a successful no confidence motion on the Sankar Ministry. K. M. George, R. Balakrishna Pillai and other leaders backed by the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and the Nair Service Society leader Mannathu Padmanabhan, formed the "Kerala Congress" at Kottayam Thirunakkara Ground on 9th October 1964.

History

Main article: Splits and Mergers of Kerala Congress

Kerala Congress was formed as a breakaway faction from Indian National Congress in 1964, led by K. M. George and R. Balakrishna Pillai. The party won 26 seats in the 1965 Kerala Assembly election.

George and Pillai were arrested and imprisoned during the National Emergency. Kerala Congress joined the C. Achutha Menon-led Kerala ministry in 1975 (R. Balakrishna Pillai and K. M. Mani as ministers). R. Balakrishna Pillai was later replaced by K. M. George (who died in 1976).

R. Balakrishna Pillai formed the Kerala Congress (B) in 1977.

K. M. Mani, with the Congress alliance, served as the Home Minister in the later K. Karunakaran and A. K. Antony led ministries (replaced in between by P. J. Joseph).

Kerala Congress (Mani) was formed from Kerala Congress in 1979.

Kerala Congress (P. J. Joseph Era) (1979–2010)

Main article: Kerala Congress (Joseph)

However, Splinter fractions of R. Balakrishna Pillai and K. M. Mani merged with parent Kerala Congress led by P. J. Joseph in 1985.

These parties again split in 1987 by K. M. Mani, after the split in the same year since there was a big legal battle for the name and symbol between P. J. Joseph and K. M. Mani. The court ruled in favor of P. J. Joseph. In 1989, R. Balakrishnan Pillai also left Parent Kerala Congress.

P. J. Joseph was minister several times until 2010 representing Kerala Congress.

Merger with Kerala Congress (M) and dissolution (2010–2015)

In 2010, one of the founder's sons, P. C. Thomas, joined the Party. He was a Kerala Congress (M) member until 2001 and later formed his own party, the Indian Federal Democratic Party.

Later that year, Kerala Congress (J) and Kerala Congress (M) decide to merge into one party. P. C. Thomas did not support this merger and made his own fraction called Kerala Congress (Anti-merger Group).

Eventually, the Kerala Election Commission froze the party's name and symbol, thereby dissolving Kerala Congress.

Revival of Kerala Congress (2016– )

Alliance with NDA (P. C. Thomas Era (2016–2021))

P. C. Thomas was a chairman of Kerala Congress (Anti-merger Group). In 2014, a power struggle erupted in that party and on 2015 Thomas left Kerala Congress (Anti-merger Group) and formed Kerala Congress (Thomas) but Left Democratic Front did not approve this split and kicked out Thomas from their alliance.

In August 2015, the Kerala Congress faction led by P. C. Thomas join the Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

In 2016, after a long legal battle P. C. Thomas received approval to use the name as bracket less Kerala Congress party. So Thomas dissolved Kerala Congress (Thomas) and revived the Kerala Congress.

P. C. Thomas contested from Kottayam Lok Sabha constituency for NDA on 2019 Indian general election

In October 2020, it was reported that P. C. Thomas was leaving NDA and was likely to join the United Democratic Front (UDF). The party however decided to stay in the NDA and extended their support to NDA candidates in the 2020 Kerala local elections.

From 2016 to 2021 Kerala Congress was in an alliance with NDA (National Democratic Alliance).

On 17 March 2021, the party left the NDA. later the Kerala Congress (Joseph), which was part of the Congress-led UDF merged into bracket-less Kerala Congress. which lead to P. J. Joseph becoming the Kerala Congress Party chairman again.

2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election

After the merger with Kerala Congress, P. J. Joseph, and Mons Joseph resigned from the MLA post to avoid the technicalities regarding the Anti-Defection Law as they had won the assembly election in 2016 in KEC(M) tickets However, 8 out of 10 candidates of Kerala Congress lost in elections, only P. J. Joseph and Mons Joseph were re-elected to the legislative assembly from Thodupuzha and Kaduthuruthy respectively.

Splinter Factions of Kerala Congress

Parties in UDF

  • KEC of P. J. Joseph
  • KEC(J) of Anoop Jacob

Parties in LDF

  • KEC(M) of Jose K. Mani
  • KEC(B) of K. B. Ganesh Kumar
  • JKC of Dr. K. C. Joseph and Antony Raju
  • KEC(ST) of Binoy Joseph

Parties in NDA

  • KEC(D) Ranjith Abraham Thomas of Ranjith Abraham Thomas
  • KEC(D) Rajesh Puliyaneth of Adv. Rajesh Puliyaneth
  • KEC(N) of Kuruvila Mathews
  • KEC(S) of Kallada Das
  • KVC of Prof. Prakash Kuriakose

There is a move for grand-merger of Kerala Congress factions within NDA - Kerala Congress (B) Ranjith of Ranjith Abraham Thomas, Kerala Congress(N) of Kuruvila Mathews, Kerala Congress(S) of Kallada Das, Kerala Vikas Congress (KVC) of Prof. Prakash Kuriakose along with National Progressive Party of V. V. Augustine along with some individual former Kerala Congress leaders like George J. Mathew, V. Surendran Pillai, Mathew Stephen, M. V. Mani, George Sebastian, Jerry Easow Oommen, etc.

Parties with Trinamool Congress

  • Kerala Congress (D) Saji Manjakadambil of Saji Manjakadambil (to be merge with All India Trinamool Congress)

Party organisation

Leadership

On 27 April a meeting convened online by the party leadership in Thodupuzha and chose P.J Joseph as party chairman{{Cite web|url= https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/latest-news/2021/04/27/pj-joseph-elected-kerala-congress-chairman.html|title= P J Joseph will be chairman|access-date= 1 May 2021|archive-date= 29 April 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210429172021/https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/latest-news/2021/04/27/pj-joseph-elected-kerala-congress-chairman.html|url-status= live}} and PC Thomas as working chairman. Mons Joseph has been elected as the Executive Chairman, Francis George, Johnny Nelloor and Thomas Unniyadan as deputy chairman, while Joy Abraham is the secretary-general.

Electoral performance

Kerala Congress}};color:white"Election YearKerala Congress}};color:white"AllianceKerala Congress}};color:white"Seats contestedKerala Congress}};color:white"Seats wonKerala Congress}};color:white"Total VotesKerala Congress}};color:white"Percentage of votesKerala Congress}};color:white"± Vote
2024UDF1364,6311.84%New
2009LDF1333,6882.09%0.26%
2004LDF1353,9052.35%0.05%
1999LDF1365,3132.40%0.20%
1998LDF1327,6492.20%0.03%
1996LDF1320,5392.23%0.01%
1991LDF1319,9332.24%1.78%
1989LDF168,8110.46%1.91%
1984UDF1258,5912.37%2.00%
1980UDF2356,9974.37%1.23%
1977UDF2491,6745.6%2.70%
1971UDF3542,4318.3%3,18%
1967UDF5321,2195.12%New
Kerala Congress}};color:white"Election YearKerala Congress}};color:white"AllianceKerala Congress}};color:white"Seats contestedKerala Congress}};color:white"Seats wonKerala Congress}};color:white"Total VotesKerala Congress}};color:white"Percentage of votesKerala Congress}};color:white"± Vote
2021UDF10554,1152.66%2.48%
2016UDF337,1080.18%
2006LDF6271,8541.75%1.15%
2006LDF10455,7482.9%0.20%
1996LDF10442,4213.10%0.27%
1991LDF10477,8493.37%0.17%
1987LDF14451,1593.54%0.90%
1982UDF12435,2004.55%0.40%
1980UDF17471,8174.95%3.43%
1977UDF22734,8798.38%2.47%
1970UDF31445,2325.91%1.66%
196761475,1727.57%5.01%
196554796,29112.58%New

Notable leaders of various factions of Kerala Congress

  • K. M. George

  • O.V.Lukose (Founding Organising Secretary)

  • K. M. Mani

  • Mathachan Kuruvinakunnel

  • R. Balakrishna Pillai

  • M. V. Mani

  • P. K. Ittoop

  • E. John Jacob

  • K. R. Saraswathy Amma

  • Vayala Idiculla

  • T. S. John

  • K. Mohandas

  • Sam Oommen

  • Thomas Kallampally

  • P. J. Joseph

  • P. C. Thomas

  • Mons Joseph

  • C. F. Thomas

  • Francis George

  • Thomas Unniyadan

  • Joy Abraham

  • Prince Lukose

  • T. M Jacob

  • Oommen Mathew

References

References

  1. Fic, Victor M.. (1970). "Kerala: Rise of Communist Power, 1937-1969". Nachiketa Publications.
  2. (28 April 2021). "PJ Joseph elected Kerala Congress chairman".
  3. (3 June 2021). "unrecognized political parties and the symbols allotted to them when they were recognized parties".
  4. Fic, Victor M.. (1970). "Kerala: Rise of Communist Power, 1937-1969". Nachiketa Publications.
  5. Philip, Shaju. (23 October 2020). "The Long History of Kerala Congress Splits and Factions, from Mani to Son". The Indian Express.
  6. (10 April 2019). "How Kerala Congress Mastered the Art of Split and Rise". Malayala Manorama.
  7. (9 October 2014). "50 years on, Kerala Congress Tries to Redefine Itself". The Hindu.
  8. Kochukudy, Anand. (18 April 2023). "Modi image, Syrian Christian base can help BJP in Kerala. But leadership crisis a spoilsport". The Print.
  9. (2 August 2015). "P.C. Thomas in NDA fold". The Hindu.
  10. Jacob, George. (10 March 2015). "Scaria Thomas is chief of pro-LDF Kerala Congress". [[The Hindu]].
  11. (24 October 2020). "Jolt to NDA as P C Thomas' Kerala Congress to quit alliance, likely to join UDF". The New Indian Express.
  12. (5 December 2020). "Kerala Congress (PC Thomas faction) announces support to NDA in local body polls".
  13. (17 March 2021). "Kerala Congress Thomas faction leaves NDA ahead of assembly polls".
  14. (17 March 2021). "P C Thomas to quit NDA; to merge with P J Joseph".
  15. (19 March 2021). "Two Kerala Congress legislators resign". The Hindu.
  16. (19 March 2021). "Joseph, Mons quit as MLAs; uncertainty looms over symbol".
  17. (20 March 2021). "Kerala Assembly Elections | Kerala Congress in a bind over election symbol". The Hindu.
  18. (3 May 2021). "With just two seats, PJ Joseph loses battle of Kerala Congress factions".
  19. "കേരള കോൺഗ്രസ്: പി.ജെ. ജോസഫ് ചെയർമാൻ".
  20. (27 April 2021). "KC factions formalise merger". The Hindu.
  21. "P J Joseph is Kerala Congress chairman, P C Thomas working chairman".
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

state-political-parties-in-kerala kerala-congress-parties political-parties-established-in-1964 1964-establishments-in-kerala member-parties-of-the-indian-national-developmental-inclusive-alliance
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Kerala Congress — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report