Cherian Philip entered politics through Kerala Students Union (KSU) in 1967 as school unit President while Oommen Chandy was its president. He was elected as the Secretary of the Kerala University Union and Senate Member of Kerala University in 1974. He became the General Secretary of KSU in 1975 and its President in 1979-80. From 1980 onwards, he was the Vice-President of Kerala Pradesh Youth Congress and from 1982–89, was the General Secretary of Youth Congress. During the period 1984-89, he was the member of Indian Youth Congress National Council. Then became the Secretary of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). In 1992, he constituted a new social organization named "Kerala Desiya Vedhi" in his Presidency. Until 2001, he was in the Indian National Congress and later quit Congress. He contested against Sri.Oommen Chandy. as a protest against power monopoly in congress. His demand was not to give tickets to MLA's completed two terms or 10 years. But congress leadership denied it.