KOTTAYAM: As a significant development marked by a smooth transition of power -- coming as it does after a long-drawn-out process that was testy and tough -- the appointment of Sunny Joseph as president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has surpassed expectations
The fact that Sunny is a Catholic is being seen as one of several factors that contributed to his favourable reception within the state unit of the party. His appointment is noteworthy as it has been over three decades since a Catholic has held the position of KPCC chief. The last Catholic to serve in the role was A K Antony from 1987 to 1992.
During the change-of-guard talks, the Catholic Church endorsed Sunny’s name. By actively intervening on issues affecting the community, he had garnered the support of almost all bishops of the Church.
Moreover, following the passing of Oommen Chandy and the withdrawal of A K Antony from active politics, the Church has voiced its exasperation on multiple occasions over the poor representation of the Christian community in the Congress leadership. The pleas were largely ignored by the Congress, prompting the Church to reconsider its longstanding support for the party.
In recent years, there have been reports of a noticeable shift of the Christian community’s support for BJP, particularly following Suresh Gopi’s victory in Thrissur, a constituency with a significant Christian population. This development put pressure on the Congress to better accommodate the Church’s demands, in an effort to retain the support of the community.
As per sources within the party, a day before Sunny was selected to the post, he met outgoing president K Sudhakaran to seek his support. Interestingly, Sudhakaran had passed on leadership of the Kannur district Congress committee to Sunny before taking charge as KPCC chief. Now, as Sudhakran steps down as KPCC chief, he passes the torch again to Joseph, symbolising a seamless transfer of power within the party.