THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The latest round of by-elections in the state have left the Congress with a mixed bag. While the party registered thumping victories in the Palakkad assembly and Wayanad parliamentary bypolls, it failed to cash in on the anti-incumbency sentiment in Chelakkara.
Given that the state is set to witness local body elections in 2025 and assembly elections in 2026, Rahul Mamkootathil’s record majority in Palakkad and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s four-lakh plus margin in Wayanad are a major boost for the Congress and the UDF. The twin victories have strengthened Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan’s grip over the party and his critics will henceforth have to think twice before crossing swords with him.
At the same time, the setback in Maharashtra has put a sudden break on senior leader Ramesh Chennithala’s aspirations of staking claim to the CM post in 2026. Even AICC general secretary K C Venugopal will have to think hard before returning to state politics. While the Congress is on a five-bypoll-winning streak under Satheesan, the victory in Palakkad is special in many ways.
The decision to vacate the seat and field a candidate unacceptable to many senior and local leaders was considered a politically suicidal act as Palakkad was deemed winnable for the BJP. However, led by the Satheesan-Shafi Parambil duo and helped by the coordinated efforts of UDF partners, the Congress outwitted the CPM-BJP strategies.
Contrary to the mainstream narrative of the CPM presenting itself as the lone crusader thwarting the BJP in Kerala, the Congress has captured a majority of BJP’s cadre votes.
“The Congress has changed a lot compared to previous years. The loss in 2021 was a game changer. The party brought in professionalism and started preparations early, and managed to enlist new voters,” a senior UDF leader told TNIE.
The Palakkad bypoll has also demonstrated the Congress can perform social engineering better than the CPM. However, the steady growth of the BJP in Chelakkara at the cost of the Congress will be a challenge for the party. In Wayanad, the party managed to attract its workers’ votes.