With the Congress securing a decisive mandate in the Assembly elections in Kerala crossing the 100-seat mark—the spotlight has largely been on the party’s frontline leadership. Yet, behind the scenes, a cohort of organisers and strategists played a defining role in shaping the campaign’s narrative and execution. Among them, Gautam Seth has emerged as a key figure in the party’s communication architecture, working closely under the leadership of Deepa Dasmunshi.
Seth’s journey within the Congress is marked by an early and persistent entry into politics. At the age of 16, he is known to have written 118 emails one each day to Rahul Gandhi before receiving a response that he considers a turning point. This initiative brought him into the party fold, where he began building his political grounding through organisational exposure and mentorship.
His formative years included working under senior Congress leaders such as Oscar Fernandes and close associations with figures like Sheila Dikshit, Buta Singh, and Mohsina Kidwai. These experiences provided him with early insights into governance, party structure, and the nuances of political communication, shaping his approach to organisational work.
Seth’s rise within the party came swiftly. At 19, he was appointed spokesperson for the Punjab Congress, later going on to serve as National Spokesperson of the Youth Congress from 2019 to 2021. At 25, he assumed the role of General Secretary (Organisation) for the Punjab Congress, becoming one of the youngest leaders to hold the position. Over time, his responsibilities expanded beyond public communication into campaign strategy and coordination.
His association with Ms. Dasmunshi has been a defining aspect of his recent political trajectory. During the Telangana Assembly elections, where the Congress secured a significant victory, Mr. Seth served as media coordinator under her oversight. This role continued in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Kerala, where the Congress-led alliance won 18 of 20 seats, further consolidating his position within the party’s campaign framework.
In the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, Mr. Seth headed media operations, playing a central role in managing the party’s communication strategy. Working within a broader structure led by Ms. Dasmunshi, he coordinated press engagements, aligned spokesperson messaging, and oversaw high-impact media interactions featuring senior leaders. These efforts were aimed at maintaining narrative consistency and responding effectively to opposition challenges throughout the campaign.
The campaign itself was supported by a data-driven war-room led by strategist Harsha Kanadam, with key organisational inputs from leaders such as B. M. Sandeep. This integrated system combined real-time feedback, digital monitoring, and field intelligence, enabling swift recalibration of strategy. Within this framework, Mr. Seth’s role was to translate strategic direction into coherent public messaging.
Political observers note that the Kerala victory underscores the increasing importance of structured communication and backroom coordination in modern electoral politics. While leadership at the top provided direction, the execution of strategy through coordinated teams proved equally critical. Mr. Seth’s trajectory—from a young entrant into politics to a key campaign strategist—reflects the Congress’s evolving emphasis on professionalised campaign management.
As the party looks ahead, figures like Mr. Seth represent a new generation of leaders operating beyond the public gaze but shaping outcomes in tangible ways. In Kerala, the scale of the mandate has brought renewed attention to these roles, highlighting how electoral success today is as much about organisation and narrative as it is about mobilisation on the ground.