Leaked Audio Predicting Defeat Prompts DCC President's Exit, Reveals Deep Discontent Within Congress

Thiruvananthapuram: In a major embarrassment for the Congress ahead of the upcoming local body and Assembly elections, a leaked phone conversation predicting the party’s electoral downfall has led to the resignation of Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee (DCC) president Palode Ravi. The fallout from the leak has exposed deep organisational decay within the party and inadvertently lent credence to the growing political consensus, even among Congress leaders, that the CPI M -led Left Democratic Front (LDF) is poised for a renewed mandate in the coming elections.

The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) acted swiftly on Saturday, accepting Ravi’s resignation and expelling Vamanapuram Block General Secretary A Jaleel, whose eight- minute phone call with Ravi was leaked and later aired by television channels. The conversation, laced with pessimism, revealed Ravi’s bleak assessment of the Congress’s prospects and harsh criticism of factionalism, selfishness, and internal sabotage within the party.

“The party has lost mutual respect and trust. Everyone is just backstabbing each other, and no one wants to work among the people,” Ravi was heard saying in the call. He predicted that the Congress would come third in the local body elections and “fall flat” in the Assembly elections. Notably, he claimed that the BJP was eyeing at least 60 seats and would secure significant vote shares through money power, leading to a Congress rout and the CPI M retaining power.

Though Ravi later downplayed the leak, claiming his remarks were intended to “motivate” party workers, the damage was already done. His frank assessment has ignited sharp debates within Congress ranks, even as UDF leaders continue to paint an optimistic picture of victory.

Observers note that Ravi’s candid remarks reflect a truth that Congress leadership is unwilling to admit publicly, the LDF has consolidated substantial grassroots support, while Congress remains plagued by internal discord and organisational paralysis. Ironically, it is from within the Congress that the narrative of an LDF victory is now being validated, reinforcing the public perception of the Left’s organisational superiority and electoral momentum.

KPCC president Sunny Joseph, who accepted Ravi’s resignation, termed the leak a “grave issue” and confirmed consultations with the AICC leadership before taking action. Senior Congress leader N Sakthan, a former Speaker and State Minister, has been appointed interim DCC president in Thiruvananthapuram. Sakthan said he would use his experience to steer the party through the upcoming elections.

Despite the reshuffle, the crisis has exposed a serious lack of cohesion within Congress. While the party is gearing up for the local body polls, tentatively scheduled for December, and Assembly elections due in April–May, its internal strife continues to overshadow preparations.

Key Congress leaders including K Muraleedharan (Thiruvananthapuram), V D Satheesan (Ernakulam), and Ramesh Chennithala (Kozhikode) have been assigned to lead the party’s campaign in urban centres, but ground- level dysfunction threatens to undermine their efforts.

With even senior Congress leaders now echoing what the CPI M and the LDF have consistently argued, that the Left remains the most trusted and organised political force in the state, the Congress faces not just a PR crisis, but an existential one. The leaked audio has made it evident: the fear of defeat runs deep within Congress, and the organisational rot is too serious to ignore.