Kerala Congress to ride ahead with autorickshaw as official symbol

Kottayam: From now on, Kerala Congress—a key ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front—is set to drive its political journey forward on an autorickshaw, the vehicle of the common man.

With the Election Commission granting the party official recognition as a State Party, Kerala Congress has been allotted the autorickshaw as its election symbol. The move comes as a major boost, especially with the upcoming local body elections, as the party can now field all its candidates under a single, unified symbol.

Party chairman and MLA P J Joseph has expressed satisfaction over the development. “We had specifically requested the autorickshaw symbol because it’s a vehicle familiar to the public and used by many. We’re happy to have received a symbol that is both recognisable and easy to campaign with,” he said.

The party had faced significant challenges during the 2020 local body elections, held shortly after its split with Kerala Congress (M). Back then, lacking an official symbol, many candidates contested under ‘Chenda’ (drum), a symbol from the general pool. However, not all candidates used this symbol, triggering confusion among voters.

The absence of a common symbol also posed hurdles in taking disciplinary action against members who contested and won under the Kerala Congress banner but later defected to other parties or coalitions.

This issue resurfaced during the initial phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections too, as K Francis George, the party’s candidate in Kottayam, had to launch his campaign without a designated symbol. Campaign materials such as posters and graffiti had to be printed with blank spaces, awaiting the symbol’s allocation. Once the autorickshaw—a symbol available for use by independent candidates—was allotted to the party, it was inserted into the campaign materials. Following Francis George’s victory, the party formally announced its intention to adopt the autorickshaw as its permanent symbol.

Commenting on the development, executive chairman and MLA Mons Joseph noted that the autorickshaw, regarded as the vehicle of the common man, symbolises the party’s grassroots connection and presents an opportunity to broaden its popular base.