The escalating factional war within the Kerala Congress (M) has entered yet another phase with the P.J. Joseph faction, after a brief lull, launching a fight back with a carefully arranged display of belligerence.
With both factions now selecting party chairman on their own, the battle is set to intensify further even as the doors of consensus between the factions now remain shut. In the short term, this will affect the party's prospects in two crucial elections — one in the Kottayam district panchayat that is set to elect a new president and another in the Pala Assembly constituency.