Sun May 04 15:09:47 UTC 2025: ## Kerala Congress Officially Recognized as State Party
**Kottayam, May 4, 2025** – The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially recognized the Kerala Congress as a state party, allotting it the autorickshaw symbol. This follows the party’s success in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where candidate K. Francis George, contesting under the autorickshaw symbol, won the Kottayam seat.
The recognition ends a long-standing dispute over the party’s official symbol, which stemmed from a split in 2019 following the death of veteran legislator K.M. Mani. The subsequent power struggle resulted in two factions, led by P.J. Joseph and Jose K. Mani, battling for control of the party and its “two leaves” symbol. The ECI ultimately awarded the “two leaves” symbol to the Jose K. Mani-led Kerala Congress (M) faction.
The P.J. Joseph faction, a key ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), had operated without an official symbol until this recent decision. The adoption of the autorickshaw symbol, successfully used in the Lok Sabha elections, now solidifies the party’s status and provides a clear identity going forward.
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