Kerala Congress (Joseph)
Kerala Congress (Joseph) (KEC(J)) was a political party in Kerala, formed in 1979 as a breakaway from the Kerala Congress and led by P. J. Joseph. It became known as a faction of the Kerala Congress and played a long, often turbulent role in Kerala politics, switching alliances between the UDF and the LDF.
Key points in its history:
- 1979: Founded as a split from Kerala Congress; P. J. Joseph became the leader.
- 1985–1989: Kerala Congress briefly united with leaders like K. M. Mani and R. Balakrishna Pillai, but factions soon split again into Kerala Congress (Mani) and Kerala Congress (B). P. J. Joseph remained with the UDF until 1989.
- 1991 onward: Joseph’s group became part of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) after leaving the UDF.
- 2010: Joseph’s group merged with Kerala Congress (M); a Thomas faction opposed this merger and formed the Kerala Congress (Anti-merger group), staying with the LDF.
- 2011: The Election Commission froze the Kerala Congress name and symbol. Followers of Joseph contested under KC(M) and followers of Thomas under the Anti-merger group; the original Kerala Congress name effectively dissolved (until revived later).
- 2016: P. C. Thomas revived the Kerala Congress as Kerala Congress (Thomas).
- 2019: After the death of K. M. Mani, a faction led by Mani’s supporters tried to take control. In 2019, P. J. Joseph and C. F. Thomas revived Kerala Congress (J) by splitting from KC(M); both groups claimed the party symbol and name in July.
- 2020–2021: Jose K. Mani’s group was expelled from the UDF; P. J. Joseph’s faction signaled joining the LDF in October 2020. In February 2021, Joseph and his followers left KC(M).
- March 17, 2021: P. C. Thomas announced that his Kerala Congress had merged with the Joseph faction of KC(M), with Thomas as Deputy Chairman and P. J. Joseph as Chairman. This marked Joseph’s return to the Kerala Congress fold after 11 years.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 14:42 (CET).