Chairman · Rajya Sabha MP
Son of K. M. Mani. Two-term Lok Sabha MP from Kottayam and Chairman of Kerala Congress (M) since 2019 — a succession the Election Commission and the Supreme Court have both upheld. Now a Rajya Sabha MP and a voice for the toiling class of central Kerala in India's upper house.
Biography
Jose Kariplackal Mani was born on 29 May 1965 in Pala, Kottayam — the youngest child and only son of K. M. Mani and Kuttiyamma. His five elder sisters, Elsa, Sally, Anie, Tessy and Smitha, grew up in the Syro-Malabar Catholic household that, by the time of his birth, was already synonymous with Kerala's political conscience.
He studied at St. Thomas Primary School in Pala before moving to Montfort School in Yercaud, Tamil Nadu — where he was a keen student of Carnatic music and elocution. Higher education took him to Loyola College, Chennai (B.Com), and then PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore (M.B.A.). He returned to central Kerala and entered active politics, becoming General Secretary of Kerala Congress (M) in 2007.
He is married and continues to be based in Pala — the town his father represented in the Kerala Assembly for 51 unbroken years.
Education
Parliamentary record
Two commanding Lok Sabha victories from Kottayam. A hard-fought but unsuccessful Pala Assembly bid in 2021. And now, a seat in the Rajya Sabha representing Kerala. Every chapter, including the difficult ones, is part of the record.
First parliamentary win. Defeated K. Suresh Kurup (CPI-M) by over 70,000 votes. Served in the 15th Lok Sabha.
Defeated Mathew T. Thomas (JD-S) by 1,20,599 votes. Served in the 16th Lok Sabha, focusing on agricultural welfare and plantation workers.
Jose K. Mani contested his father's seat of 49 years. Lost to Mani C. Kappan (NCP-Kerala) by 15,378 votes — a significant result in a constituency long defined by the Mani family legacy.
Elected to the Rajya Sabha representing Kerala. Raises issues on rubber price support, plantation workers, cooperative banks, and high-range development.
The 2019 succession
K. M. Mani, who led Kerala Congress (M) without interruption for five decades, passed away on 9 April 2019 at Lakeshore Hospital, Kochi. The succession was not automatic. The state committee convened at CMS Retreat Center, Kottayam, on 16 June 2019 and endorsed Jose K. Mani as the party's new Chairman.
The endorsement was contested. Rival factions, led by P. J. Joseph, disputed the chairmanship. The matter went to the Election Commission of India, which ruled decisively in favour of Jose K. Mani's faction in 2020. The Supreme Court of India upheld that ruling. Kerala Congress (M) retained both the 'M' designation and the two-leaves election symbol — preserving the continuity of K. M. Mani's party.
The 2020 realignment
Following prolonged tensions with alliance partners — brought to a head by the Kottayam District Panchayat presidency dispute — Kerala Congress (M) departed the United Democratic Front on 30 June 2020. In October 2020, the party joined the Left Democratic Front.
The move was a strategic realignment — a recognition that the party's core constituency, farmers and plantation workers of central Kerala, had interests that cut across traditional alliance boundaries. Within the LDF, Kerala Congress (M) continues to advocate for its foundational commitments: the welfare of the toiling class.
Other roles
Chairman of a policy research body focused on agrarian reform, cooperative banking, and rural development in central Kerala.
President of Vikasana Sena, a youth-oriented social movement aligned with the party, focused on educational access and community development.
From the chairman's feed
Spoke in the Rajya Sabha today on the rubber support price issue. Kerala's farmers have waited long enough — ₹250/kg is not a demand, it is an economic right. The Centre must act. #RubberFarmers #KeralaCongress
Inaugurated the upgraded Thodupuzha taluk hospital ICU today. Infrastructure in the high ranges is not charity, it is a debt deferred for too long. Grateful to every worker and official who made this happen.
Visited flood-affected panchayats with the KTUC(M) leadership today. Housing, healthcare and schooling for the displaced — we will keep working until every affected family is resettled with dignity.
Kerala's cooperative movement — credit societies, dairy co-ops, farmer federations — is one of our great achievements. As Chairman, I will keep pushing to protect and expand it, not weaken it.
Kottayam district committee meeting today — full house, full of energy. KCM(M) is not a legacy vote, it is a living, thinking organisation. The workers at the grassroots are its real strength.
Congratulations to the youth wing on crossing its membership target in Kottayam. This is what renewal looks like — new faces, same commitment to the toiling class.
Recent statements
Trace the legacy of K. M. Mani — five decades of service to Kerala. Meet the MLAs and MPs who carry that flag today.