KOTTAYAM: Amid speculation of a change of guard at the KPCC, the Catholic Church is demanding that its nominee be made the next state president of the Congress. According to sources, the Church is pitching for former Kannur DCC chief and Peravoor MLA Sunny Joseph.
With less than a year remaining for local body elections, followed by the assembly election in another three months, there is a growing demand for a top-to-toe revamp in the party.
However, a total revamp appears to be a vexed issue for the Congress, taking into account the power dynamics within the party and the need for maintaining communal balance in its organisational structure.
The Christian community, especially the Catholic Church, is dissatisfied with what it is sees as inadequate representation in the Congress leadership, especially after the era of A K Antony and Oommen Chandy. The Church had aired its concerns on multiple occasions.
Though the Church leadership has refused to disclose the name of its nominee for KPCC chief, reports suggest that it is backing Sunny Joseph. Sunny, who maintains a good rapport with the Church hierarchy, is also in the good books of Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan. He is currently the parliamentary party secretary of the Congress in the assembly. It is learnt that Joseph, who actively intervened on issues affecting the community, has garnered the support of almost all Catholic bishops.
“We have already communicated the need to ensure the rightful representation of the Catholic community during the Congress organisational revamp, including in its lower committees. The community has not been adequately represented even in its strongholds,” said Jacob G Palackappilly, deputy secretary general of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC).
Congress dilemma
The Congress leadership now finds itself facing a dilemma: accept the Church’s suggestion and improve relations with it, or stick with an Ezhava representative to prevent the community from shifting its support to the BJP.
While the camp of the current incumbent, K Sudhakaran, prefers a revamp without replacing the chief, another section is calling for a replacement. Those who support Sudhakaran highlight the by-election victories and a near sweep in the Lok Sabha elections. They are insisting that if there is to be a change, it should not stop with the KPCC chief, but also include the leader of opposition.
No dearth of contenders
On the other hand, a number of names are being bandied around for the KPCC top post, if Sudhakaran is indeed replaced. Potential candidates include Kodikkunnil Suresh, Roji M John, Adoor Prakash, Anto Antony, M Liju, among others.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Sudhakaran has the backing of A K Antony, who is keen to maintain the communal balance. Although Antony has distanced himself from party affairs, his opinion still remains the final word for the party’s central leadership, say sources.
While Kodikkunnil and Roji are seen as strong contenders, the Congress leadership is hesitant to disrupt the current dynamics ahead of local body polls, the results of which will be crucial in the run-up to the 2026 assembly election.