In a recent steering committee meeting in Kottayam, the Kerala Congress(M) (KC(M)) assessed its loss in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections. The party's chairman, Jose K. Mani, pointed to cross-voting by Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) cadres and the consolidation of minority communities as key reasons for their defeat. Despite receiving 5.25 lakh votes, a decrease from 6.81 lakh in 2021, Mani noted that the party's core support remained intact, with many losses occurring by narrow margins. The KC(M) plans to hold district-level meetings on May 15 and 16 to conduct a thorough analysis of the election results and will present a consolidated report by May 27. During the meeting, there were sharp criticisms of the party leadership and the governance of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, with concerns raised about potential loss of cadre to rival factions. Mani dismissed any merger with opposing factions or a shift to the United Democratic Front (UDF), describing such invitations as insincere.