Kerala Congress in Crisis: Scandals, Infighting, and the Collapse of Internal Democracy

Thiruvananthapuram: The Indian National Congress(INC) in Kerala is facing a multifaceted crisis, by factional infighting, allegations of financial misconduct, violent internal clashes, and a growing disconnect from the ground.

Recent events, particularly the resignation of Kannur District Congress Committee (DCC) General Secretary K.C. Vijayan and the exposure of possible fund misappropriation within the Youth Congress, have brought to light the deepening rot in the state's Congress structure.

The most explosive development came from Kannur, where K.C. Vijayan resigned following a leaked Whats-App voice message in which he openly accused Youth Congress District President Vigil Mohanan of fraudulently collecting funds under the pretext of the Chooralmala protest movement, and of having obtained his leadership post through vote-buying and forged identity cards.

Fund collected ostensibly to support affected in Chooralmala-Wayanad, where environmental and livelihood concerns have been ongoing. According to Vijayan, Youth Congress leaders collected amounts far exceeding the officially stated quota of Rs.2.5 lakh per block, and there is no clear accounting of where the surplus money went.

Only the Iritty and Payyannur block committees are confirmed to have transferred the required amount to the state committee. However, Vijayan's leaked audio suggests that much more was collected from other blocks, without accountability or transparency.

The KPCC has refused to respond directly to the allegations. While, Vijayan’s resignation was quietly accepted, and the party moved on without announcing any internal inquiry—raising serious questions about how misconduct is handled, or ignored, within the party.

The rot is not confined to Kannur. In Thiruvananthapuram, DCC President Palode Ravi was forced to resign after a leaked phone call in which he acknowledged the possibility of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) retaining power in Kerala and the Congress slipping to third position in local and state elections.

In the call, Ravi expresses dismay at the party's lack of grassroots presence, the erosion of Muslim support, and the ineffectiveness of ward committees. He also criticises how internal lists are prepared and how the party’s structures are being undermined from within.

His remarks were not laced with scandal but with an honest, if damning, assessment of the party’s current state. However, instead of using the moment for introspection, the KPCC demanded his resignation, and expelled Vamanapuram Block General Secretary A. Jaleel, who leaked the audio.

Physical Assault and Organisational Anarchy in Wayanad

Just days later, in Kalpetta, another shocking incident unfolded: Wayanad DCC President N.D. Appachan was physically assaulted during a Congress meeting. Though multiple witnesses confirmed the incident, KPCC President Sunny Joseph dismissed it during a subsequent event, stating, “No sword will be drawn” and “Wayanad is a district under national attention.”

Joseph’s comment, made with Appachan seated nearby, was interpreted by many as an attempt to paper over the conflict rather than address it. Appachan’s supporters were outraged, but the leadership remains tight-lipped.

More concerning still, a formal complaint filed by DCC General Secretary O.R. Raghu—who was injured in the same incident—was ignored by party leadership, even though six people were named in the police case. The silence signals an alarming indifference to physical violence within party ranks.

Meanwhile, in Angamaly, two prominent Congress leaders—Saju Nedungadan and Lijo John Vazhukkaran—were removed from cooperative bank boards after defaulting on loans worth Rs. 21.64 lakh and Rs. 25.15 lakh respectively. Both are part of the Angamaly Urban Cooperative Bank, which is now under investigation for a Rs. 116 crore financial misappropriation.

When elected representatives and board members treat cooperative institutions as private treasuries, the political fallout is not just reputation—it undermines the very credibility of the cooperative movement itself.