Explained: The Congress 'I' and the Congress 'A' of Kerala that made PC Chacko step down

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other UDF leaders at an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. (File image: PTI)

Former union minister and Congress leader left the party on March 10 and alleged factionalism in the Kerala unit of the grand-old party ahead of April 6 assembly polls.

Chacko, who has now joined Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), said the party was divided into Congress (I) and Congress (A) in Kerala and the allocation of tickets was based in these two camps accusing the central leadership of failing to unite the two.

Chacko is not the first leader to level such allegations in Kerala Congress but the division is discussed in every election. In 2019, another Kerala Congress leader, Tom Vadakkan, had quit the party citing ideological differences. Vadakkan later joined the Bhartiya Janata Party.

The two groups

The Congress leaders in Kerala are either considered part of ‘I’ group or the ‘A’ group. The ‘I’ faction is now led by the Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala while former chief minister Oommen Chandy leads the ‘A’ group.

Usually, the seats for all elections are divided between the two groups but the rift over the candidature results in the two groups working to defeat the candidate of the other group.

In the 2016 assembly election, Chandy reportedly wanted a seat for his loyalist K Babu, former minister, despite graft allegations against him. Babu got the ticket but the Congress lost the election and Babus’s Thrippunithura seat.

The origin and the history

The factions date back to Emergency days. The Congress ‘I’ stands for Indira Gandhi had emerged way back in 1978. It is referred to as the group that had members with allegiance to the former Prime Minister.

The faction, then led by former CM K Karunakaran, emerged at a time of growing discontent against Indira Gandhi due to the Emergency. Leaders like Ramesh Chennithala, K Sudhakaran, VD Satheesan, and Karunakaran’s son K Muraleedharan joined the faction later.

READ: PC Chacko Interview | Congress headless, adhocism at the top hurting party

The leaders who were against the faction came together and formed Congress (Urs) faction in 1979 named after former Karnataka CM Devaraj Urs. Former Union Defence Minister AK Antony was part of this faction. But in 1980, Antony split from the Congress (Urs) and set up the Congress ‘A’ camp. Among prominent members of this group include former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy and MM Hasan.

In 1980, the Congress ‘A’ faction joined a CPM-led government of which PC Chacko was a part. The name of the party was changed to Indian Congress (S) and was led by Sharad Pawar at the national level.

A year later, CPM lost power, and Antony and his supporters were back in Congress. The differences between the ‘A’ group and ‘I’ group persisted though. When Antony became chief minister in 2001, Karunakaran elevated his son K Muraleedharan by making him Congress state president. Antony moved to Delhi after 2004 and Chandy taking over the ‘A’ group. Karunakaran floated the DIC (K) in 2005, and Chennithala came to lead the ‘I’ group.

Also, read: Congress leader PC Chacko resigns from party, alleges groupism in Kerala unit

Striking a balance

Both the factions enjoy support within the party and communities and hence party has often tried to keep both groups happy. If, for example, a Congress ‘A’ leader becomes the CM, a member of Congress ‘I’ would be the Kerala Congress Committee president.

When Antony was Kerala CM from 2001 to 2004, Muraleedhraran was the Kerala Congress chief and when Chandy became CM in 2011, Chennithala became the Congress chief.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), the opposition coalition, is contesting the April 6 Kerala assembly polls against the Left Democratic Front (LDF), the ruling alliance of left-wing political parties.