Kerala Congress

Kerala Congress is an Indian political party founded in Kottayam, Kerala in October 1964, by a block of former Indian National Congress leaders led by K. M. George. The party is primarily active in central Kerala. The establishment of the Kerala Congress could be traced to the resignation and later death of P. T. Chacko, the Home Minister in the R. Sankar-led Congress ministry (1962–64). Fifteen rebel Congress Members of the Legislative Assembly subsequently supported a successful no confidence motion on the Sankar ministry. K. M. George and R. Balakrishna Pillai, backed by the Catholic Church and the Nair Service Society leader Mannathu Padmanabhan, formed the "Kerala Congress" at Kottayam on 9 October 1964. History "Kerala Congress" was formed as a breakaway faction from Indian National Congress in 1964 (led by K. M. George and R. Balakrishna Pillai). The party won 26 seats in the 1965 Kerala Assembly election. George and Pillai were arrested and imprisoned during the National Emergency. Kerala Congress joined the C. Achutha Menon-led Kerala ministry in 1975 (R. Balakrishna Pillai and K. M. Mani as ministers). R. Balakrishna Pillai was later replaced by K. M. George (who died in 1976). Kerala Congress (B), led by R. Balakrishna Pillai and later with the Left Alliance, was formed in 1977. K. M. Mani, with the Congress alliance, served as the Home Minister in the later K. Karunakaran and A. K. Antony led ministries (replaced in between by P. J. Joseph). Kerala Congress (Mani) was formed from Kerala Congress in 1979.