Will Congress high command save its sinking ship in Kerala ahead of 2026 Assembly polls?

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 20 (IANS) A day after a stormy meeting of the Kerala Congress Political Affairs Committee, AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, Deepa Das Munshi, on Monday held a one-on-one meeting with the top leadership of the state to seek their opinion about the state of affairs in the party.

Sources said that during the Political Affairs Committee meeting on Sunday, Kerala Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan came under fire while surprisingly K. Sudhakaran, the state party president was not criticised by the party leaders.

Satheesan and Sudhakaran have not been on friendly terms ever since the mantle of the state party unit came under their leadership.

Meanwhile, the CPI-M-led Left and the BJP are losing no opportunity to hit out at the Congress party and its leadership in the state.

“Gone are the days when the party was divided between two top leaders Karunakaran-Antony and Oommen Chandy-Ramesh Chennithala. Today, there is Chennithala and now all-powerful K.C. Venugopal, who is very close to party high command,” an analyst said.

He added that the bickering in the party has also begun over the face of the Chief Minister for the upcoming 2026 Assembly election. The party leaders have attacked each other publicly sending wrong signals among the people.

On Monday, the state party unit issued a statement highlighting the outcome of Sunday’s Political Affairs Committee meeting.

The party has blamed the Left and a section of the media for spreading false information about the party’s internal bickering and about the issue of the party’s Chief Minister’s face if Congress comes to power in the 2026 state elections.

“All the reports about the internal strife are rubbish. It is the party high command which decides about the Chief Minister and it is done at the appropriate time,” said the party statement.

Congress has also decided to issue guidelines for party workers and sympathisers who defend the party on various social media platforms.

“Once the guidelines for using the social media comes out anyone who violates it will be strictly dealt with,” the party said.

Meanwhile, Munshi will submit a detailed report to the party high command on her meeting with the top state leaders.

The local body elections will be held in the state later this year which will be soon followed by the Assembly election.

It remains to be seen whether the party’s high command changes the present leadership in the state or goes in both elections with the same team.