Congress appoints new Kerala unit president a year before polls: Who is Sunny Joseph?
Outgoing Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran had been sulking over reports that he would be removed and has to take solace from the fact that Joseph, his loyalist from Kannur, has succeeded him. The party has also appointed Sudhakaran, who put up a strong fight to retain his post, as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC).
To ensure a balance in the representation of communities, Adoor Prakash who is the party's Hindu Ezhava face has been appointed the convener of the Congress-led United Democratic Front. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has also appointed young leaders Shafi Parambil, P C Vishnunadh, and A P Anil Kumar as the state unit's working presidents. Shafi is a Lok Sabha MP, while Vishnunadh and Anil Kumar, who are from the upper-caste Nairs and Dalit communities, respectively, are MLAs. They have replaced MP Kodikkunnil Suresh, MLA T Siddique, and former MP T N Prathapan.
The Congress zeroed in on 72-year-old Joseph, the Peravoor MLA, at the end of a search for a leader from the Christian community to take the KPCC's reins, according to party insiders. In the past, the Congress in Kerala had a Christian face, starting with A K Antony and later Oommen Chandy, both of whom served as state chief ministers. With Antony having retired from active politics and Chandy passing away in July 2023, the Congress had been scouting for a state-level Christian leader at a time when a section of Christians are leaning towards the BJP. The disintegration of the regional Christian party, Kerala Congress, also led to fewer Christian faces in the UDF leadership, which has now shrunken to mainly the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League.
Sudhakaran was appointed the state unit president after the party's rout in the Assembly elections in 2021. He had been facing heat within the party for failing to work in sync with the Leader of the Opposition, V D Satheesan, on crucial matters. Sudhakaran, who once claimed he stood guard for an RSS shakha, landed in several controversies that left the party and its allies red-faced. Besides, rivals within the party pointed out that health was not on Sudhakaran's side and that would have made it difficult for him to lead the fight against the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front. By accommodating the Kannur MP, the Congress wanted to ensure that it did not jettison the leader from the Ezhava community, traditionally known to be pro-CPI(M).
The newly appointed KPCC president, who is a law graduate, will have his hands full, with a bypoll to the Nilambur Assembly seat pending and local body elections expected to be held within the next six months. Then will come the big test: preventing the Left from returning to power for the third straight term.
Joseph, who is known to be close to the Church, particularly Catholic leadership, served as the president of the party district committee in Kannur. A vocal voice on farmers' issues, he has his task cut out in making the Congress battle-ready.
A non-controversial leader, Joseph does not have a group behind him, and that is both his strength and weakness, according to party insiders. He will have to take several senior leaders into confidence to ensure a smooth sailing. The new state Congress chief is known for his oratory and will have to try and come out of his mentor Sudhakaran's shadow.
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