Congress keeps cards close to chest on talks with LDF ally Kerala Congress (M)

The Congress appeared to maintain an enigmatic position on Tuesday (January 13, 2026) on whether it had opened talks with the Kerala Congress (M), a Left Democratic Front (LDF) ally, about a possible defection to the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) in the crucial Assembly election year in Kerala.

When asked by reporters in Thiruvananthapuram as to whether Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had extended an olive branch to KC(M) chairperson Jose K. Mani, MP, an erstwhile ally who left the UDF to join the LDF in October 2020, Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said: “The UDF is poised to expand its base stunningly. You will know in a few days.”

Recently, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State general secretary P.M.A. Salam had welcomed the KC(M) to the UDF.

Mr. Mani’s conspicuous absence from back-to-back LDF meetings had sparked speculations last week. The UDF added grist to the political speculation by interpreting Mr. Mani’s absence at the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF’s sit-in protest against the Centre as a sign of estrangement. Notably, Mr. Mani’s silence on the matter provided fodder to the rumour mill.

However, KC(M) leader and Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine sought to douse the raging media discussions by writing on Facebook that “the LDF will come back to power” in 2026. He also stated that Mr. Mani could not attend the protest due to “personal reasons” and noted that the KC(M) chairperson had deputed three party legislators, including N. Jayaraj and Pramod Narayan, to join the Chief Minister.

Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram later, Mr. Augustine said he was “not aware” whether Ms. Gandhi had invited Mr. Mani to rejoin the UDF. He also denied that the Catholic Church in Kerala had urged the KC(M) to end its five-year alliance with the LDF and “return home” to the UDF, given the clergy’s criticism that the Left government had falsely claimed that it had implemented most of the recommendations of the Justice J.B. Koshy Commission, which examined social, financial, and educational backwardness among Christians.

“The Church remains above temporal politics. Moreover, the Chief Minister had reported that 17 departments had taken action on 220 recommendations,” he added.

KC(M) senior leader K.J. Devasia told reporters that the party had “no reason to quit the LDF.” He said the government had delivered on its promises to the settler-farmer community, including lifting restrictions on the use of assigned land and enacting a law to mitigate human-wildlife conflict.

“Neither Ms. Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, nor Rahul Gandhi lifted a finger when the Congress arbitrarily threw the KC(M) out of the UDF in 2020. They are not welcome now,” he added.

A Communist Party of India (Marxist) insider dismissed the controversy as one “created by anti-LDF media outlets” to provide the Congress “a brief respite from the scandals dogging the party.”

He said the UDF was in “a death spiral” and that “more constituents will desert the sinking ship.”