Internal discord within the Congress party has allegedly intensified in Chelakkara following the underwhelming performance of its candidate, Ramya Haridas, in the recent Assembly bypolls. The conflict became public on Sunday, a day after the election results were announced when screenshots of conversations from two WhatsApp groups— INC Chelakkara and Mandalam Congress Committee —were shared in other groups of the messaging platform.

The leaked messages reveal growing dissatisfaction among party workers regarding Haridas’ candidacy, which they believe led to a significant setback for the Congress in the constituency. Party members criticised the leadership’s decision to field Haridas, calling it a "self-inflicted loss."

A message in the INC Chelakkara group said: “The current loss isn’t the fault of the booth-level workers but the leadership, which insisted on Ramya Haridas as the candidate. Her attitude towards grassroots workers hasn’t improved, and she won’t secure a win unless this changes. Ultimately, the burden of the defeat falls on ground-level workers, while leaders remain unaffected regardless of the outcome.”

Another strongly worded message blamed the leadership for ignoring local demands: “The defeat in Chelakkara is solely due to fielding Ramya. The people had clearly wanted a local face, but the leadership dismissed their concerns.”

In the Mandalam Congress Committee group, members urged the party to promote local youth leaders. One message warned that if the current approach continues, the party risks losing its remaining workers. Another message stressed the importance of introspection before the upcoming local body polls: “If the Congress wants to survive in Chelakkara, it must elevate local leaders who resonate with the people.”

Some members also suggested that Haridas should have been allowed to focus on building her presence in Chelakkara until the next general elections instead of contesting the bypoll. A message noted, “Repeated failures will only tarnish Ramya’s image further.”

In the recent bypoll, LDF candidate U R Pradeep defeated Ramya Haridas by 12,201 votes. Pradeep secured 64,827 votes, while Haridas garnered 52,626. NDA candidate K Balakrishnan finished third with 33,609 votes. This marks Haridas’ second electoral defeat within a year, further amplifying criticism of the Congress leadership’s decision-making in Chelakkara.