Kerala Congress

Kerala Congress is an Indian political party founded in Kottayam, Kerala in October 1964, by a block of former Indian National Congress leaders led by K. M. George.[4][5][6] The party is primarily active in central Kerala.[5][7]

For the Congress Party in Kerala, see Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee. For other parties with similar names, see Kerala Congress (disambiguation).
Kerala Congress
AbbreviationKC
ChairpersonP. J. Joseph[1]
Founder
Founded9 October 1964 (1964-10-09)[2]
Split fromIndian National Congress
HeadquartersState Committee Office, Near Star Theatre junction, Kottayam, Kerala
Student wingKerala Students Congress
Youth wingKerala Youth Front
Women's wingKerala Vanitha Congress
Labour wingKerala Trade Union Congress
IdeologyWelfarism
ColoursWhite and red
ECI StatusRegistered-Unrecognized
Alliance
Seats in Lok Sabha
0 / 543
Seats in Rajya Sabha
0 / 245
Seats in Kerala Legislative Assembly
2 / 140
Election symbol
Kerala Congress Symbol will allotted to them when they were recognized parties[3]

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).[5][6] Fifteen rebel Congress Members of the Legislative Assembly subsequently supported a successful no confidence motion on the Sankar ministry.[5] K. M. George and R. Balakrishna Pillai, backed by the Catholic Church and the Nair Service Society leader Mannathu Padmanabhan, formed the "Kerala Congress" at Kottayam on 9 October 1964.[4][5][6]

History
Main article: Splits And Mergers Of Kerala Congress

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.

But these parties again split in 1987 by K. M. Mani, after the split 1987 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-Present)

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).[8]

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[9] 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).[10] The party however decided to stay in the NDA and extended their support to NDA candidates in the 2020 Kerala local elections.[11]

Kerala Congress (P.J Joseph Era 2.0) (2021- Present)

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

On 17 March 2021, the party left the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) later Kerala Congress (Joseph), which is part of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) merged into bracket-less Kerala Congress.[12][13] 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[14] Law as they had won the assembly election in 2016 in Kerala Congress (M) tickets[15][16] 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.[17]

Party Organisation

Leadership

On April 27 a meeting convened online by the party leadership in Thodupuzha and chooses P.J Joseph as party chairman[18] and PC Thomas as working chairman[1]., Mons Joseph has been elected as the executive chairman[19]., Francis George Johnny Nelloor and Thomas Unniyadan as deputy chairman, while Joy Abraham[20] is the secretary-general.[21]

Notable leaders of Kerala Congress

References
  1. "PJ Joseph elected Kerala Congress chairman".
  2. Fic, Victor M. (1970). "Split of Political Parties". Kerala: Rise of Communist Power, 1937-1969. Nachiketa Publications. pp. 184–85.
  3. "unrecognized political parties and the symbols allotted to them when they were recognized parties" (PDF). Wayback eci. 3 June 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 June 2021.
  4. Fic, Victor M. (1970). "Split of Political Parties". Kerala: Rise of Communist Power, 1937-1969. Nachiketa Publications. pp. 184–85.
  5. Philip, Shaju (23 October 2020). "The Long History of Kerala Congress Splits and Factions, from Mani to Son". The Indian Express.
  6. "How Kerala Congress Mastered the Art of Split and Rise". Malayala Manorama. 10 April 2019.
  7. Jacob, George (9 October 2014). "50 years on, Kerala Congress Tries to Redefine Itself". The Hindu.
  8. "P.C. Thomas in NDA fold". The Hindu. 2 August 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  9. Jacob, George (10 March 2015). "Scaria Thomas is chief of pro-LDF Kerala Congress". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  10. "Jolt to NDA as P C Thomas' Kerala Congress to quit alliance, likely to join UDF". The New Indian Express. 24 October 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  11. "Kerala Congress (PC Thomas faction) announces support to NDA in local body polls". ANI. 5 December 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  12. "Kerala Congress Thomas faction leaves NDA ahead of assembly polls". 17 March 2021.
  13. "P C Thomas to quit NDA; to merge with P J Joseph". Mathrubhumi. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  14. Radhakrishnan, S. Anil (19 March 2021). "Two Kerala Congress legislators resign". The Hindu.
  15. "Joseph, Mons quit as MLAs; uncertainty looms over symbol". 19 March 2021.
  16. "Kerala Assembly Elections | Kerala Congress in a bind over election symbol". The Hindu. 20 March 2021.
  17. "With just two seats, PJ Joseph loses battle of Kerala Congress factions". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  18. "P J Joseph will be chairman".
  19. "കേരള കോൺഗ്രസ്: പി.ജെ. ജോസഫ് ചെയർമാൻ".
  20. "KC factions formalise merger". The Hindu. 27 April 2021.
  21. "P J Joseph is Kerala Congress chairman, P C Thomas working chairman".
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