Kochi: Irony can often be the language of politics; and the mastery over it seems to be an additional qualification to head the Congress’ IT cell in Kerala. Two young leaders who led the party’s new-age communication machinery in the past two years have proven it. One of them went to the BJP, and the other is at the doorsteps of the CPM. Since its inception in 2013, the Congress’ IT cell in Kerala had only three heads. Only one of them, a professional away from mainstream politics, is still aligned with the party.

Anil Antony’s entry as the convenor of the Congress’ digital media cell in Kerala was not surprising provided his father A K Antony’s stature in the party. His exit, nevertheless, was shocking though not more than the decision to join BJP. Anil went on to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Pathanamthitta constituency and finished third behind the Congress and the CPM. Anil was replaced by Dr Sarin P, a medical doctor who quit civil services to join politics. In less than two years since taking charge, Sarin has now severed his ties with the Congress and in all probability will be contesting the Palakkad assembly bypoll as a CPM-backed candidate.

Anil quit Congress following the row over the BBC documentary on Gujarat riots and the alleged role of the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in it. He was highly critical of the Congress’ stand of endorsing the documentary. His defence of the prime minister snowballed into a major controversy paving way for his exit. When in Congress, Anil spoke like a Congressman. In an interview with Onmanorama in October 2019, he was concerned about the “social fabric of the country being rapidly destroyed” and critical of the Modi government failing to deliver its promises. Once in BJP, he started sounding more than the BJP, all praise for Modi and calling Rahul Gandhi anti-national.

While Anil took a right turn apparently with his ambitions set on the national scale, his successor Sarin is turning the left way after shocking his party with a verbal assault on Congress candidate Rahul Mamkoottathil, Shafi Parambil MP and Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan. He has already started praising the CPM’s organisational strength and the ability to bounce back from electoral setbacks. The trolls he shared on social media targetting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the ruling CPM till a few days ago are meanwhile taking viral route, again, though for a different reason. In one such memes he said “PV Anvar is expelled from CPM but Pinarayi is still in RSS’. Another one shows a character played by Jagathy asking CM Pinarayi “will at least the elephants on the Kerala government’s emblem remain in place by the time his term ends”.

Both Anil and Sarin reached the top of the IT cell after the post became perceived as a stepping stone to scale the party hierarchy. Anil was brought to the post ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He was roped in by the then KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran. His experience with the Congress’ digital cells in Gujarat and Rajasthan made his appointment easier.

However, Congress in Kerala had an unofficial digital wing much before other state units thought of the idea. Until Anil took charge, the wing was headed by Ranjith Balan, an IT entrepreneur who hails from a Congress family as well as a former member of the Technopark’s director board. In 2013, the party’s state unit started the digital media cell with Ranjith as its chairman and 11 members with professional background, following an AICC order to constitute such wings in all state units. Ranjith who played a leadership role in the cell for 13 years told Onmanorama that the digital media wing was envisaged as a backend tool to strengthen the organisation. Ranjith was the KPCC’s IT advisor from 2005 to 2011. He said by the time Anil took charge, his team was expanding the cell to the booth level. “As many as 4,000 booth coordinators were appointed before Anil was appointed,” he said.

Both Anil and after that Sarin had plans to make the Congress’ digital media presence and activism more organised and expanded. But as things turned out, they had to change their priorities and parties before accomplishing their media mission for the Congress.