Alliance shift discussion likely to dominate Kerala Congress (M) steering committee meet today

Kottayam: Speculation over a possible change in alliance is expected to dominate the Kerala Congress (M) steering committee meeting to be held at the party headquarters here on Friday.

Although the party leadership has publicly reiterated that Kerala Congress (M) will continue with the LDF and that there was no need to return to the UDF, uncertainty persists within the party. Party chairman Jose K Mani recently skipped a protest organised by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram against the Union government’s policies, triggering fresh speculation over a change of heart.

While Mani has repeatedly maintained that all five Kerala Congress (M) MLAs remain united, discussions on a possible alliance shift have exposed internal differences. The issue came into the open after irrigation minister Roshy Augustine and MLA Pramod Narayanan stated on social media that they would remain with the LDF.

Meanwhile, the minister on Friday said that no discussions have taken place regarding a change in alliance by the Kerala Congress (M). He said the party chairman has already made the party’s stand clear, and that the party does not habitually change its position every hour. 

Kerala Congress (M) joined the LDF ahead of the 2020 local body elections and contested 12 seats in the 2021 Assembly polls, winning five. The party’s MLAs are Dr N Jayaraj (Kanjirappally), Job Maichil (Changanassery), Pramod Narayanan (Ranni), Roshy Augustine (Idukki) and Sebastian Kulathunkal (Poonjar). The split in Christian votes in central Kerala was widely seen as a key factor in the UDF’s defeat in that election.

However, voting trends in the 2026 local body and Lok Sabha elections in Kottayam, Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts suggest continued grassroots support for the UDF in regions where Kerala Congress (M) has a strong presence, despite the party remaining with the Left front for the past five years.

For the UDF, bringing back Kerala Congress (M), one of the largest Christian political parties in the state, is seen as politically significant, particularly amid allegations that the Congress-led alliance is overly dependent on the IUML and Jamaat-e-Islami. Opposition Leader VD Satheesan on Friday clarified that the Congress has not held any discussions with the Kerala Congress (M). Meanwhile, KC Venugopal said the UDF’s doors were always open to KC(M).