In the 2014 national election, the Congress and its allies had won 12 seats in Kerala. (PTI photo)
Only the Congress can defeat the Congress, Rahul Gandhi told party workers in Kerala,
where assembly elections will be held soon.
The Congress vice president also suggested to the state party unit, riven by internal feuding, that they could postpone the fighting to after the elections.
"Only the Congress can defeat the Congress in Kerala. The CPI-M can never do that... You have to stand together. If you are able to do that, the UDF (United Democratic Front) government will return to power," he warned, speaking at the Congress headquarters in state capital Thiruvananthapuram.
"The Congress is like a family and can fight (within), but it should not be done (now) as elections are around the corner," Mr Gandhi said and promised, "After the elections I will come back and hear all what you have to say."
The Congress has for the last five years led the United Democratic Front in Kerala with a very slender lead in the state assembly over the CPM-led Left Democratic Front.
Rahul Gandhi with Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy (L) , party MP A K Anthony and others. (PTI photo)
It is fighting hard to retain Kerala to salvage a dismal track record in recent state elections that was only marginally helped by the party getting to share the Bihar win as junior partner to Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav.
Apart from the internal wrangling, the Congress also goes to the polls fighting
allegations of corruption against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and others. The party leadership's support for the beleaguered Mr Chandy was evident however, when Rahul Gandhi said, "Oommen Chandy has delivered on all his promises."
In the 2014 national election, the Congress and its allies had won 12 seats in Kerala and the Left 8. But the CPM swept local body elections held last year.
In worries for the Congress, the BJP made inroads in select districts like Thiruvananthapuram, where it pushed Rahul Gandhi's party to third position.