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<div>{{Other uses|Kerala Congress (disambiguation)}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}<br />
{{Infobox Indian Political Party<br />
| party_name = Kerala Congress (B)<br />
| party_logo = [[File:Kerala-Congress-flag.svg|200px|border]]<br />
| colorcode = #CC6600<br />
|abbreviation = KEC (B)<br />
| founder = [[R. Balakrishna Pillai]]<br />
|chairman =[[K. B. Ganesh Kumar]]<br />
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1977}}<br />
| split = [[Kerala Congress]]<br />
| alliance = [[Left Democratic Front (Kerala)|LDF]] (1977 – 1982, 2015 – present)<br />[[United Democratic Front (India)|UDF]] (1982–2014)<br/>Independent (2014 – 2015)<br />
| ideology = <br />
| publication = <br />
| symbol =<br />
| headquarters = P. T. Chacko Smaraka Mandiram, S. S. Kovil Road, [[Thampanoor]], [[Thiruvananthapuram]]-695001, [[Kerala]]<br />
| website = <br />
|eci = Registered-Unrecognized<br />
|state_seats_name = [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]]<br />
|state_seats = {{Composition bar|1|140|hex=#CC6600}}<br />
| no_states = {{Composition bar|1|31|hex=#CC6600}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Kerala Congress (B)''' is a registered-unrecognized political party in Kerala, formed by [[R. Balakrishna Pillai]], a former minister of the government of Kerala. At present, the party has one MLA in the state [[Legislative Assembly]], namely [[K. B. Ganesh Kumar]], a well-known film actor and son of R. Balakrishna Pillai, who has been representing the [[Pathanapuram (State Assembly constituency)|Pathanapuram constituency]] in [[Kollam district|Kollam District]] since 2001. The KC(B) was a constituent of UDF until 2014 and is now part of [[Left Democratic Front (Kerala)|LDF]]. Ganesh Kumar served as a minister (portfolio in Forest, Sports and Cinema) in the UDF government beginning May 18, 2011 until his resignation on April 2, 2013.<br />
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== History ==<br />
The party was formed in 1977, following the split in [[Kerala Congress]] that occurred after the death of [[K. M. George (politician)|K. M. George]] due to differences that arose between [[K. M. Mani]] and [[R. Balakrishna Pillai]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-10-23|title=The long history of Kerala Congress splits & factions, from Mani to son|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/the-long-history-of-kerala-congress-splits-factions-from-mani-to-son-6843627/|access-date=2021-04-20|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> The party was a constituent of [[Left Democratic Front (Kerala)|Left Democratic Front]] on formation. Later it moved to the [[Indian National Congress|congress]] led [[United Democratic Front (Kerala)]] and became a part of the [[Third Karunakaran ministry]]. The party chief R. Balakrishna Pillai was the minister of Transport in that ministry. During this period Pillai's home turf [[Kottarakkara]] got developed as a major [[Kerala State Road Transport Corporation]] hub of the state.<br />
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In 1985, the [[K. M. Mani|Mani]], [[P. J. Joseph|Joseph]] and Pillai led KC (B) merged to form [[Kerala Congress]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kerala Congress News, Candidates list, Manifesto and Top Stories {{!}} Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/assembly-elections/kerala/kerala-congress|access-date=2021-04-20|website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com}}</ref> In 1987, [[K. M. Mani|Mani]] broke away from this merger and left the coalition government.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=PILLAI|first=K. RAMAN|title=The Significance of the 1987 Elections|date=1989|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41855435|journal=The Indian Journal of Political Science|volume=50|issue=3|pages=293–306|jstor=41855435|issn=0019-5510}}</ref> However Pillai stayed with Joseph till 1989 and the KC (B) was revived again in 1989.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-10-23|title=The long history of Kerala Congress splits & factions, from Mani to son|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/the-long-history-of-kerala-congress-splits-factions-from-mani-to-son-6843627/|access-date=2021-04-20|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> In 1995, [[Joseph M. Puthussery]] faction split and parted ways with Kerala Congress (B).<ref>{{Cite web|title=How Kerala Congress mastered the art of split and rise|url=https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2019/06/17/kerala-congress-organic-party-split-growth.html|access-date=2021-04-20|website=OnManorama}}</ref><br />
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In 2015, KC (B) joined [[Left Democratic Front (Kerala)|LDF]] by leaving the [[United Democratic Front (Kerala)|UDF]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=KC(B) Leader Pillai Quits as FC Panel Chief|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/kcb-leader-pillai-quits-as-fc-panel-chief/878899|access-date=2021-04-20|website=www.outlookindia.com/}}</ref><br />
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On 3rd May 2021, [[R. Balakrishna Pillai]] passes away due to age-related ailments. From 2017 onwards, he had been serving as the chairman of the Kerala State Welfare Corporation for Forward Communities, with cabinet rank. After Pillai's death, the State committee elected [[K. B. Ganesh Kumar]] as party chairman on 10 May 2021.<ref> {{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kerala-politician-r-balakrishna-pillai-passes-away/article34469669.ece|title=Kerala Congress (B) chairman R. Balakrishna Pillai passes away|date=3 May 2021}}</ref><br />
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== Performance in elections ==<br />
The party chief, R. Balakrishna Pillai was elected to the [[Lok Sabha]] in 1971 and the State Assembly nine times since 1960 (1965, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1991,1996, 2001). However, in the [[Elections in 2006|2006 election]] he was defeated by a little-known opponent belonging to the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]].<br />
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His son [[K. B. Ganesh Kumar]], a [[Malayalam cinema|Malayalam film]] and [[Television|television actor]], made his electoral debut in 2001, when he was elected from [[Pathanapuram (State Assembly constituency)]]. It was the lection in which KC(B) reached its highest tally of 2 members in the [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]]. Ganesh went on to become [[Minister for Transport|Transport Minister]] in the [[Third Antony ministry]]. In a brief period of 2 years as minister he earned wide popularity for giving face-lift to the loss making [[Kerala State Road Transport Corporation]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2002-09-30|title=Forced Facelift Brings Fortune To Kerala's Public Transport|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/archive/forced-facelift-brings-fortune-to-keralas-public-transport/58716/|access-date=2021-04-20|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2003 Ganesh resigned and Pillai became the minister.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Mar 6|first1=PTI /|last2=2003|last3=Ist|first3=20:14|title=Ganesh resigns to make his father minister {{!}} Thiruvananthapuram News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/ganesh-resigns-to-make-his-father-minister/articleshow/39485274.cms|access-date=2021-04-20|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> Ganesh is currently the Acting Chairman of the Kerala Congress (B).<br />
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Ganesh won the [[2011 Kerala Legislative Assembly election]] and was the Minister for Forest, Sports, and Cinema in the second Oommen Chandy Ministry from 2011 to 2013. He had to resign following complaints from his wife regarding domestic violence.<ref>{{Cite news|others=Special Correspondent|date=2013-04-02|title=Ganesh Kumar quits as Minister|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/ganesh-kumar-quits-as-minister/article4570744.ece|access-date=2021-04-20|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> The Party fielded two candidates in the 2011 election to the Kerala Assembly. N. N. Murali, a well known surgeon, is the party's candidate from Kottarakkara. Ganesh Kumar achieved a hat-trick win from the Pathanapuram constituency. But Murali was defeated by his relative and LDF candidate [[P. Aisha Potty]] and only Ganesh Kumar could become MLA.<br />
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In 2015, the party left UDF and joined LDF. Ganesh Kumar again contested from Pathanapuram in the [[2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly election]], and won for a fourth consecutive time, this time defeating another famous film actor [[Jagadish]] by a huge margin. Pathanapuram constituency got statewide attention in those elections as the three major contestants from the constituency were all film actors – [[Ganesh Kumar]] (KC (B), [[Jagadish]] ([[Indian National Congress|INC]]) and [[Bheeman Raghu]] ([[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]]).<br />
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In the [[2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election]] the party is contesting from only one seat under the [[Left Democratic Front (Kerala)|Left Democratic Front]], in the Pathanapuram (State Assembly constituency) with K. B. Ganesh Kumar as the candidate.<br />
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==Splinter group==<br />
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After party founder and chairman [[R. Balakrishna Pillai]]'s demise, a faction of the party led by Pillai's daughter Usha Mohandas, former MLA M. V. Mani and presidents of the party from 10 districts calls for the State committee meeting on 21 December 2021 and unanimously elected Usha Mohandas as party chairperson and M. V. Mani as working chairman.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/usha-mohandas-elected-chairperson-of-kerala-congress-b/article38004718.ece|title = Usha Mohandas elected chairperson of Kerala Congress (B)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2021/12/21/kerala-congress-b-splits.html|title = Usha Mohandas ousts Ganesh Kumar from chair as Kerala Congress (B) splits|date = 21 December 2021}}</ref><br />
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On 29 December 2021, [[K. B. Ganesh Kumar]], chairman of the party break his silence on the formation of splinter group and said, legally there's only one Kerala Congress (B) and he's the official chairman selected by the State executive committee. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/kerala-congress-b-doesn-t-belong-to-my-family-ganesh-kumar-mla-kerala-party-kc-1.6311673|title=Kerala Congress (B) doesn't belong to my family: Ganesh Kumar MLA|date=29 December 2021}}</ref><br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{Indian political parties}}<br />
{{Left Democratic Front (Kerala)}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Kerala Congress Parties]]<br />
[[Category:Political parties in Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:1977 establishments in Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:Political parties established in 1977]]</div>2409:4073:399:E8C2:8F02:3BC7:6E66:E76