Thiruvananthapuram, Feb. 14 -- By appointing senior leader Ramesh Chennithala and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor as the chairman and co-chair of the election campaign committee in Kerala, the Congress is seeking to display a united front and dispel any rumours of factional troubles ahead of a high-stakes election in the southern state.

Having spent a decade in the opposition in Kerala, despite a robust organisational network and plenty of up-and-coming leaders, the Congress and the United Democratic Front (UDF) it leads are up against the LDF, aiming for a third stint in power under chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and a rising BJP.

Chennithala's name did the rounds for the campaign committee chief's post, considering his seniorit...