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).
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 and PC Thomas as working chairman. Francis George, Johnny Nelloor and Thomas Unniyadan as deputy chairman, while Joy Abraham is the secretary-general.
Electoral performance
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Loksabha election results in Kerala
|-
!Style="background-color:;color:white" | Election Year
!Style="background-color:;color:white" | Alliance
!Style="background-color:;color:white" | Seats contested
!Style="background-color:;color:white" | Seats won
!Style="background-color:;color:white" | Total Votes
!Style="background-color:;color:white" | Percentage of votes
!Style="background-color:;color:white" | ± Vote
|-
|2024
|UDF
|1
|
|364,631
|1.84%
|New
|-
|2009
|LDF
|1
|
|333,688
|2.09%
| 0.26%
|-
|2004
|LDF
|1
|
|353,905
|2.35%
| 0.05%
|-
|1999
|LDF
|1
|
|365,313
|2.40%
| 0.20%
|-
|1998
|LDF
|1
|
|327,649
|2.20%
| 0.03%
|-
|1996
|LDF
|1
|
|320,539
|2.23%
| 0.01%
|-
|1991
|LDF
|1
|
|319,933
|2.24%
| 1.78%
|-
|1989
|LDF
|1
|
|68,811
|0.46%
| 1.91%
|-
|1984
|UDF
|1
|
|258,591
|2.37%
| 2.00%
|-
|1980
|UDF
|2
|
|356,997
|4.37%
| 1.23%
|-
|1977
|UDF
|2
|
|491,674
|5.6%
| 2.70%
|-
|1971
|UDF
|3
|
|542,431
|8.3%
| 3,18%
|-
|1967
|UDF
|5
|
|321,219
|5.12%
|New
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Kerala Legislative Assembly election results
|-
!Style="background-color:;color:white" | Election Year
!Style="background-color:;color:white" | Alliance
!Style="background-color:;color:white" | Seats contested
!Style="background-color:;color:white" | Seats won
!Style="background-color:;color:white" | Total Votes
!Style="background-color:;color:white" | Percentage of votes
!Style="background-color:;color:white" | ± Vote
|-
|2026
|UDF
|8
|
|5,25,323
|2.43
| 0.23
|-
|2021
|UDF
|10
|
|554,115
|2.66%
| 2.48%
|-
|2016
|UDF
|3
|
|37,108
|0.18%
|
|-
|2006
|LDF
|6
|
|271,854
|1.75%
| 1.15%
|-
|2006
|LDF
|10
|
|455,748
|2.9%
| 0.20%
|-
|1996
|LDF
|10
|
|442,421
|3.10%
| 0.27%
|-
|1991
|LDF
|10
|
|477,849
|3.37%
| 0.17%
|-
|1987
|LDF
|14
|
|451,159
|3.54%
| 0.90%
|-
|1982
|UDF
|12
|
|435,200
|4.55%
| 0.40%
|-
|1980
|UDF
|17
|
|471,817
|4.95%
| 3.43%
|-
|1977
|UDF
|22
|
|734,879
|8.38%
| 2.47%
|-
|1970
|UDF
|31
|
|445,232
|5.91%
| 1.66%
|-
|1967
|
|61
|
|475,172
|7.57%
| 5.01%
|-
|1965
|
|54
|
|796,291
|12.58%
|New
|}
Notable leaders of various factions of Kerala Congress
- K. M. George
- O. V. Lukose
- 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