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Kerala Congress
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The Kerala Congress is a political party in Kerala, India.The Founder of the party is K M George, from Vazhakulam, Muvattupuzha. The party has its roots in the Indian National Congress, from which it split in the 1960s. The party is traditionally dominated by the Christian minority in the state. The Kerala Congress party system is known for its commitment to the farmers and the rural agrarian sections. The main vote bank of the party is the farming community in Kottayam, Idukki and some other districts.
The Kerala Congress has suffered severe divisions and several parallel outfits have emerged, all claiming the name 'Kerala Congress'. Splinter-groups include Kerala Congress (Mani), Kerala Congress (Balakrishna Pillai), Kerala Congress (Jacob), and Kerala Congress (Secular). The group that has retained the official recognition by the Election Commission of India to the name is the grouping led by P.J. Joseph. Thus it is often called Kerala Congress (Joseph).
The party is a constituent of the Left Democratic Front. In the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, the party won the Idukki seat. The party now has two seats in the Lok Sabha with the merger of P.C. Thomas's Indian Federal Democratic Party. It is a member of the ruling United Progressive Alliance.
The party won 2 seats in 2001 Kerala Legislative Assembly polls. It had fielded 6 candidates ahead of the 2006 Assembly elections, and 4 were successful. P J Joseph, the chairman of KC(Joseph) was sworn in as the minister for Public Works. However, ahead of the polls the party suffered yet another split, with P.C. George forming his own Kerala Congress (Secular). KC(S) has however aligned with the LDF.
The kerala congress party has its policy dictated by the Christian clergy and is wedded to the notion of well being and commercial interests of the minority Christians of the state. One of the major highlight of the party has been to legitimise the illegal occupation of forest land by the Christian settlers by providing them pattayam.
- ^ See the List of recognised political parties in India.
- ^ To gain recognition as a state party, the party must have some kind of political activity for at least five continuous years, and send at least 4% of the state's quota to the Lok Sabha (India's Lower house), or 3.33% of members to the state assembly. If the above conditions are not fulfilled, then a party may gain recognition by garnering not less than 6% of the total votes in a state or national election, polled in by all its contesting candidates. If a party is recognised in four or more states, it is automatically recognised as a national party by the EC.
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