By Suresh Unnithan
As Kerala hurtles toward its 2026 assembly elections in mere months, the incumbent Left Democratic Front (LDF) is reeling under a barrage of scandals and public discontent. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s administration faces scathing accusations of corruption, including the explosive Sabarimala gold theft case, where senior CPM leaders like former Travancore Devaswom Board president A. Padmakumar—a close Vijayan ally—languish in jail as the eighth accused. Other prominent figures, such as ex-minister Kadakampally Surendran, remain under intense scrutiny and questioning by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), with revelations of gold siphoned off under the guise of temple renovations exposing deep-rooted graft. This coupled with economic stagnation, inflation, unemployment, and a troubling softness toward the Modi-led central government, has fuelled voter fatigue. Recent polls reveal 58% dissatisfaction, amplified by controversial alliances with figures like Vellappally Natesan, whose communal jabs at minorities have alienated neutral and secular voters. The LDF’s drubbing in the 2025 local body elections—losing bastions like Thiruvananthapuram—highlights a glaring vulnerability. This should be a godsend for the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Indian National Congress. Yet, Congress—banished from power since 2016, marking a decade in the wilderness—is frittering away this golden chance through ceaseless internal infighting. Instead of harnessing anti-LDF outrage, leaders are ensnared in ego-fueled skirmishes, sealing their downfall and unwittingly empowering both the LDF and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
This self-destructive pattern is painfully familiar. In 2016, post-Oommen Chandy’s scandal-plagued UDF tenure, a divided Congress handed the LDF 91 seats on a platter. The 2021 fiasco was worse: Amid anti-incumbency against Vijayan’s debut term, factional feuds fragmented the UDF’s efforts, netting a mere 41 seats against LDF’s 99. Congress’s chronic disunity transformed winnable contests into routs, prolonging their opposition exile. Now, with polls imminent, the grotesque rerun unfolds. Leaders chase personal empires over party revival, rendering Congress a laughingstock that repels voters and invigorates adversaries.
The strife centres on the vulgar jostle for the Chief Ministerial crown. Ramesh Chennithala, ex-Leader of Opposition; V.D. Satheesan, the current LoP; and former KPCC President K. Sudhakaran claw at one another, hoarding loyalists to sabotage rivals. Satheesan, in particular, draws fire for his
arrogance and untimely barbs, which exacerbate divisions. Accused by expelled leader Simi Rosebell John of favouritism and dismissiveness—telling her to “stay at home”—his haughty demeanour has alienated allies and fuelled perceptions of an unapproachable clique. His controversial outbursts, like branding the Chief Minister Vijayan a “coward” during protests or threatening CPIM with vague warnings, often backfire, projecting immaturity rather than leadership. Branded “arrogant” in party analyses, Satheesan’s style tests Congress’s fractured unity at a critical juncture. K.C. Venugopal, AICC General Secretary, worsens the mayhem by forging his own faction, manipulating the state apparatus from Delhi in a blatant power grab that undermines grassroots vitality and coherent strategy. Rahul Gandhi’s alerts on “sleeper cells of the BJP” ring hollow, as Congress shelters betrayers.
Consider Shashi Tharoor, the polished MP whose BJP dalliances spark suspicion. His absences from vital meetings, provocative remarks, and saffron-tinged sympathies erode Congress’s secular ethos in pluralistic Kerala. Tharoor’s social media-fuelled ego trips divert attention from real crises, chipping away at voter confidence. Then there’s a political dynasty, anchored in late Congress icon and ex-Chief Minister K. Karunakaran’s legacy. His daughter, Padmaja Venugopal, bolted to the BJP, unmasking family fissures—though her exit pruned a thorn. Brother K. Muraleedharan lingers, igniting rows with poorly timed rants that splinter cohesion.
Compounding the disgrace is Rahul Mankoottathil, Palakkad’s sitting Congress MLA and undertrial in a rape case. Retaining such a figure despite grave charges epitomizes moral rot and a preference for shielding liabilities over integrity. This indulgence stains the party, conveying to voters that ego and expedience eclipse ethics. X platforms erupt in scorn: Users lambast Kerala Congress’s “ego epidemics,” with viral quips like “Leaders brawl internally to guarantee defeat.” This sabotage transcends theatre—it’s electoral poison.
Persistent discord multiplies winners elsewhere. The LDF, hobbled by hubris and scandals like Sabarimala, might stagger to a third term as a splintered UDF bungles anti-Left consolidation. Alarmingly, the BJP profits most: Snagging local seats and targeting double digits in 2026, it feeds on fragmentation. Jaded UDF supporters, fed up with Congress turmoil, could flock to the NDA, shattering secular alliances and embedding BJP in Kerala’s landscape. Surveys show a slim UDF edge, but infighting threatens to vaporize it, gifting rivals a windfall.
Congress’s collapse isn’t fated, yet salvage requires brutal overhaul. The high command must swing the blade: Oust or marginalize arrogant figures like Satheesan if his hubris persists, shatter Venugopal’s machinations, and excise dynastic drags if they impede. Boot tainted elements like Mankoottathil to reclaim ethical high ground. Name a CM contender swiftly to stifle rumours and build solidarity. Redirect to a savage offensive on LDF’s rot—Sabarimala thefts, communal pacts, economic flops—while solidifying ties with the Indian Union Muslim League sans leaks.
In fact, the 2025 local triumphs affirm discipline wins votes—Congress must mirror or vanish. In a land where ideals once outshone egos, this trajectory betrays heritage. In the end, Kerala yearns for renewal, but Congress’s civil wars—egos reigning, victory’s hunger fading—breed inertia. Unchecked strife won’t merely extend LDF’s grip; it’ll catapult BJP’s rise, irrevocably altering the state’s political fabric.
