“No Electoral Politics, Instead Bigger Battle Against…,” Says PT John On Kerala Assembly Election Rumours
Kozhikode: PT John, the veteran Congress leader and the Vice Chairman of the All India Kisan Congress, has moved to decisively quash mounting speculation regarding his candidacy in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections. Despite pressure from the Congress leadership to enter the electoral fray, the Wayanad-based activist has declared that his priorities lie far beyond the walls of the legislative assembly.
Rumours have swirled that there demands from some corners which sought to capitalise on Mr John’s “clean image” and his decades-long rapport with the agrarian heartlands of Malabar and across India. As a native of Wayanad with a reputation for being a “khadi-clad” crusader, John is seen as a rare bridge between traditional party structures and independent grassroots movements. However, in a candid response to the speculation, John made it clear that he has no intention of seeking a mandate.
Addressing the rumours, John pointed out political reasons for his reluctance.
“I don’t want to take part in electoral politics,” John stated firmly. “There are conversations and discussions over my candidature, but I am not mentally prepared for that. I am not going into electoral politics. Instead, the need currently is a bigger battle.”
That “bigger battle for him,” according to John, is an extensive campaign against the Indo-US trade deal—an agreement he describes not as a standard trade pact, but as a “betrayal” of the Indian people. John alleges that the deal is a conduit for American monopolies to seize control of India’s health and agricultural sectors.
“It carries the stamp of betrayal of pharmaceutical and chemical companies,” John warned. He expressed grave concerns that many Indian healthcare firms have already been absorbed by US conglomerates. His rhetoric grew even sharper as he suggested a coordinated effort to “dump” genetically modified and processed foods into the Indian market.
“This is the time for committed activism,” he urged. “We need a second freedom struggle. Then it was the British East India Company; now it is going to be against the Trump administration.”
John’s refusal to enter the Assembly is consistent with a career defined by defiance and grassroots loyalty. His journey began in the hills of Bathery as a leader for the Kerala Students’ Union (KSU) and the Youth Congress. Despite his deep roots in the party, he has never been a “yes-man.”
In 1996, he famously stood as a rebel candidate to protest the neglect of workers’ voices—an act that led to a temporary suspension but cemented his reputation as a man of principle.
His national profile surged in September 2025, when he was appointed Vice Chairman of the All India Kisan Congress by AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal. This appointment followed years of tireless work, including his role as a pivotal figure in the 2020-21 Delhi farmer protests and his arrest in March 2025 during the Shambhu border crackdown.
Even as he prepares for a national agitation against international trade deals, John remains deeply connected to the soil of Wayanad. He is widely respected for his “buzzing fence” initiative—a project using beehives to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, which reportedly reduced elephant encounters by 80% while providing honey income for local farmers.
The 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, scheduled for April and May, are shaping up to be a historic three-pronged contest as the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) seeks an unprecedented third consecutive term against a revitalised United Democratic Front (UDF) and a surging Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Despite the LDF’s ambitious “Mission 110” and the continued popularity of its welfare-driven grassroots model, the CPI(M)-led alliance faces significant headwinds from administrative fatigue and fiscal stress, with recent Manorama News–CVoter surveys suggesting that over 53% of the electorate desires a change in government.
Capitalising on this anti-incumbency sentiment, the Congress-led UDF has gained substantial momentum following its dominance in recent local body elections—where it led in approximately 76 to 81 assembly segments—and is projecting a unified front by elevating leaders like VD Satheesan and Shashi Tharoor to key campaign roles. Its ongoing Puthuyuga Yatra led by VD Satheesan is attracting huge crowds and the alliance believes that they would win over 100 seats if the current momentum is translated to votes.
Meanwhile, the BJP-led NDA has emerged as a potential kingmaker, buoyed by its recent Lok Sabha breakthrough in Thrissur and a growing vote share targeting the 25% mark; the party is focusing its campaign on urban infrastructure and controversial issues like the Sabarimala gold-theft allegations to capture a double-digit seat count. However, its failure to make big jump in recently concluded local body elections is a headache for the alliance and realistic predictions give them 3-5 seats maximum in the upcoming elections.
