The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has set up a 17-member core committee for the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) to ensure faster decision-making ahead of the local body elections later this year and the Assembly polls scheduled for May 2026.

The new panel replaces the jumbo-sized Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and other organisational bodies in the state. It includes several senior leaders, with veteran A K Antony among its members.

AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal announced the list in Delhi on Friday, naming AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, Deepa Dasmunshi, as the convenor.

The decision was finalised at a meeting in Delhi attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, along with top Kerala leaders.

Besides KPCC president Sunny Joseph, Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan, and K C Venugopal, the committee includes CWC invitee Ramesh Chennithala, CWC member Shashi Tharoor, MPs K Sudhakaran, Kodikkunnil Suresh, and UDF convenor Adoor Prakash.

Former KPCC chiefs K Muraleedharan, V M Sudheeran, Mullappally Ramachandran, and M M Hassan; KPCC working presidents A P Anil Kumar, P C Vishnunath, and Shafi Parambil MP; and Mahila Congress leader and former MLA Shanimol Usman are also part of the panel.

The meeting in Delhi was called amid growing discontent within the state unit after several senior leaders were left out of the list of general secretaries in the recent reorganisation.