Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 9 : Breaking his silence, veteran Congress leader and former Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Thursday asked his junior colleagues in the party to concentrate on the upcoming local bodies elections and not on the 2026 Assembly polls in Kerala.

The Congress party in the state continues to be caught in factional feuds with various leaders like Leader of Opposition (in Kerala Assembly) V.D. Satheesan, his predecessor and veteran legislator Ramesh Chennithala, supporters of AICC General Secretary K.C.Venugopal, fighting for supremacy in the party. With the polls nearing, the leaders are now tussling on the issue of who should be the candidate for the Chief Minister's post in the 2026 Assembly polls.

Besides these prominent leaders, the state party president and Kannur Lok Sabha member, K.Sudhakaran also has his faction. Due to his failing health, he has backed out of the CM's race but is playing the waiting game.

Presently in Kerala, it is these leaders who run the Congress party and the 84-year-old Antony minced no words while speaking at a party meeting here. He said the need of the hour is the upcoming local bodies polls.

'All of you should work earnestly to see that we win the local bodies polls to take place later this year. Let us not give much importance to the 2026 Assembly polls. The need of the hour is to perform well in the local bodies,' said Antony.

'See, this is just my piece of advice and those who wish to take it can, as in the present scheme of things in the party here, I have no role, as it's all in the hands of leaders like Satheesan, Sudhakaran',' said Antony.

Antony, who for all practical purposes has retired due to his age and falling health, makes it a point to visit the state party headquarters, practically every day for a while in the evening.

The three-time former Chief Minister, Antony has gone into a shell ever since his elder son Anil Antony joined the BJP in 2023.

/IANS