hen 15 Congress MLAs came out of the party to vote against the then R. Sanker Ministry, their claim was that they were the real Congress. However, before long they had formed their own political outfit and contested the 1965 elections as Kerala Congress (KC), bagging 26 seats, including that of their ally, the Swatantra Party.
The KC could have decided the fate of Kerala politics then, since none of the other parties could muster enough numbers to form a government of their own. However, old friends in the Congress were untouchables and those on the Left, a sin. The leadership was confused and let go the crucial moment from their hands.
However, the struggle to establish a separate identity for the party, especially as the sole representative of the regional bourgeoisie, dominated the internal struggle in the party during the first decade of its existence. The party also harped on strong federalism.
Dichotomy narrowed
K.M. Mani recently remembered the period as one in which the Church hierarchy opposed him while the laity stood by him. However, this dichotomy with the Church has narrowed. The party, for all practical purpose, has been co-opted by the Church. Their role in the coalition is confined to that for seat-sharing.
Even that role has been seriously challenged during the current elections. The factions, both in the United Democratic Front and the Left Democratic Front, had to meekly satisfy themselves with the seats the big brothers allotted them. With the Congress itself getting Christians in its leadership, the role of the KC faction with the UDF has been marginalised. The state of those with the LDF is no different.
And both are threatened by the shifting political preferences of their vote bank, which is shrinking demographically and disintegrating as a result of new job opportunities provided by the new economic policies.
Jos Chathukulam, director, Centre for Rural Management, who has closely studied the journey of the party, believes the history of the KC was one of missed opportunities. They could have stuck to their original political agenda and remained more relevant.
Against this backdrop, the current elections are crucial. According to a senior leader, the evils of factionalism are finally catching up.
With so many factions fighting for a share of the shrinking vote bank, defeats could be fatal, he said.
And those who come up would have to reinvent themselves to remain relevant in the fast changing political milieu, he said.
KC factions are threatened by shifting political preferences of their vote banks.
