The Congress’s core committee in Kerala has decided to host a brainstorming conclave called “Mission 2026” in Wayanad on January 4 and 5 to formulate a strategy for the Assembly elections due in less than four months.

Buoyed by its performance in the recently concluded local body polls in the state, the Congress leaders will try to work out ways to leverage the momentum against both the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the BJP in the upcoming state polls.

Out of the total 1,200 local bodies, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has won four corporations, 59 district panchayats, 1,063 block panchayats and 7,451 gram panchayats in the two-phased polls held on December 9 and 11.

The anti-incumbency wave against the LDF government and allegations of corruption, including gold theft at the Lord Ayyappa Sabarimala Temple, contributed to the Congress’s success.

Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V.D. Satheesan is confident of replicating the performance in the state elections. However, the party is also wary of the BJP, which has won the prestigious Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation, ruled by the LDF for 45 years, and made significant gains in the local body polls.

Senior Congress MP Benny Behanan has come out with a song called Samayamyayi (It’s time), targeting the BJP government at the Centre. He told The Telegraph that the threats posed by the BJP also needed to be countered.

“It’s time to fight our political detractors with equal fervour. The BJP has been destroying the Gandhi-Nehru legacy, as is evident by the way Mahatma Gandhi’s name was dropped from the MGNREGA scheme. The Congress can survive only if the legacies being demolished by the BJP are revived,” Behanan said.

The AICC has constituted the core committee in Kerala to prevent factionalism within the party and make key decisions. The panel, which comprises veteran A.K. Antony, met here on Friday.