Task cut out for Cong in Kerala; Rahul says leaders united by light of purpose ahead

New Delhi: Projecting a united face, countering BJP’s advances especially towards Christian community and erecting an aggressive narrative against the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government are high on Congress’ agenda in Kerala where it aims to regain power.

With the BJP wooing the Christians and the CPI(M) toning down its pro-minority rhetoric to court Hindus, the Congress has a task cut out to enlarge its social base to take on the LDF, which has been in power since 2016. The BJP is also said to be increasing its footprint across the state.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the CPI(M)-led coalition retained power by disrupting the Kerala trend of not electing the incumbent. This was despite Congress scoring big in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, prompting discussions within the party why it is not able to translate it in state polls.

At a meeting in Delhi last Friday, both the central and state leadership emphasised the need for regaining power in Kerala, one of the strong states for the party. Disunity among leaders has been identified as one of the reasons for the party’s inability to build a narrative against the CPI(M).

Days after central leadership warned its Kerala leaders against rushing to the media with their grievances, top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday projected unity among Kerala leaders by posting a photograph of leaders addressing media at Indira Bhavan with a hashtag ‘Team Kerala’.

Rahul’s post on his social media handles came after a meeting of central and state leadership where they decided to project “collective leadership” ahead of the Assembly election in April-May next year. “They stand as one, united by the light of purpose ahead,” Rahul said in the post.

Congress sources said there are enough issues to put the CPI(M)-led government on the dock, including the ongoing strike by ASHA workers, drug menace, increasing violence among students and youth and allegations of corruption but the state unit is not able to capitalise on it.

The leadership has also not taken lightly the advances made by the BJP in Kerala but a section of leaders believe that the party is not aggressively countering the BJP organisationally. The central leadership has made it clear that the party needs to fight both BJP and the LDF aggressively.

However, leaders believe that certain remarks by Congress Working Committee member and senior MP Shashi Tharoor praising the CPI(M)-led government, Modi government's foreign policy initiatives and prospects of the party as well as by others have triggered perception problems.

Questions had also been raised over the style of functioning of Kerala Congress president K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan. 

Discussions also have started over changing the state president as Sudhakran's health is not in the pink. Sources indicated that Adoor Prakash, who belongs to the Ezhava (OBC) community, and Benny Behanan and Anto Antony, both Christians, are being considered.