THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress party in Kerala has embarked on a mission to revitalize its organization, appointing a ‘Jumbo’ committee comprising 13 Vice Presidents and 58 General Secretaries, with a clear directive: focus purely on organizational work and keep away from legislative aspirations.
The long-awaited reorganization aims to mobilize the party for the crucial upcoming local body and 2026 Assembly elections. The message from the leadership is unambiguous: those appointed must prioritize activating the ‘sluggish’ party structure to bring the Congress back to power.
Strict Adherence to ‘One Person, One Post’
In a significant move, the state unit is adopting the national principle of ‘One Person, One Post.’ The leadership has decided that the newly appointed office-bearers will generally not be considered for parliamentary roles, such as Assembly seats. This measure is designed to ensure the new team remains dedicated to strengthening the party organization without being distracted by electoral ambitions.
A special exemption will be granted only for Assembly constituencies where their candidacy is deemed essential and guarantees a win. Their central task remains to intensely activate the organization and prepare it for the electoral battle.
The party is confident in the new appointments, noting that all have proven their mettle in organizational work. Leaders believe this injection of talent will boost the party’s strength “tenfold.”
Satheesan’s Momentum and ‘Mission 100 Plus’
The reorganization comes as Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan continues to grow into an effective counter-force to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, frequently exhibiting political astuteness that has impressed observers. While acknowledging that the Congress currently lacks the necessary strength to directly confront the ruling CPI(M), political observers believe the restructure will provide the much-needed organizational muscle.
Satheesan’s repeated and confident declarations of winning over 100 seats to seize power in 2026 have reportedly put the ruling front on edge. Hailed as a master of election management, Satheesan’s track record speaks for itself: since 2021, the UDF, under his leadership, has won 25 out of the 27 post-poll contests in the state, against only two wins for the LDF under Chief Minister Vijayan.
Looking ahead, candidates for the Assembly seats will be identified solely based on their probability of winning, determined through direct surveys conducted by the AICC (All India Congress Committee). Furthermore, following Satheesan’s open plea to the media today for the inclusion of Secretaries, the list for those posts is expected to be released shortly, completing the final phase of the comprehensive organizational overhaul.
