Sonia Gandhi to launch poll campaign in Kerala on Saturday

AICC chief Sonia Gandhi will launch the party's Lok Sabha poll campaign in Kerala at a special convention to be held in Kochi on February 15 even as the state Congress is yet to complete seat-sharing within the ruling UDF it heads.

Besides energising party functionaries as well as the rank and file for the crucial electoral battle, Gandhi is expected to put across the main themes over which the Congress is going to seek a fresh mandate in her address at the meet.

Gandhi will also address the national meet of INTUC at Kollam in south Kerala the same day.

According to sources, party leaders, various functionaries and special invitees would be gathering for the meet, which will take stock of the ground realities and come out with suggestions for preparing the party and the ruling coalition to take on the CPI(M) led LDF.

The convention also assumes significance since it is the first major event after V M Sudheeran took over as the KPCC president, replacing Ramesh Chennithala who joined the Oommen Chandy cabinet as Home Minister last month.

Though Sudheeran was handpicked by the High Command, overlooking suggestions of Chandy and Chennithala, his elevation has been welcomed largely by the rank and file cutting across factional lines.

It is evident from the reaction that the rank and file looked at Sudheeran as capable of galvanising the party ahead of the elections as a leader with a clean track record and firm determination.