NEW DELHI — Senior Congress leader K. Sudhakaran is scheduled to address the media at 12:00 p.m. local time on Thursday amid unconfirmed reports he will launch an independent campaign for the Kannur assembly constituency.
The sitting Member of Parliament for Kannur was excluded from the party’s candidate list late Wednesday. The All India Congress Committee finalized the roster by enforcing a strict policy against fielding incumbent national lawmakers in state elections, sparking an immediate rebellion from Sudhakaran’s local supporters in Kerala.
Sudhakaran, a former president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, has instructed his faction to halt any public protests until his midday briefing. Speculation is mounting across regional media that he will resign from the Congress Working Committee if he officially declares an independent run.
The standoff follows days of negotiations in the capital. Sudhakaran actively lobbied party president Mallikarjun Kharge, arguing that national leadership previously promised him the Kannur assembly seat when he vacated his state party presidency.
കടുത്ത അവഗണനയെന്ന് അനുയായികളോട് സുധാകരന് … #KSudhakaran #CongressCrisis #KeralaPolitics #Kannur #KeralaAssemblyelection2026 https://t.co/Oj1p2NVLUU
— Manorama News (@manoramanews) March 19, 2026
With Sudhakaran sidelined from the ticket, former Kannur Mayor T.O. Mohanan is stepping in as the official Congress candidate for the seat. The internal fracture presents a significant challenge for the party’s standing in the political world as the state approaches the upcoming voting cycle.
According to unconfirmed reports, the Bharatiya Janata Party central leadership has already initiated contact with Sudhakaran’s inner circle to capitalize on the widening rift.