THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: K Sudhakaran has rejected AICC’s demand to step down from the post of KPCC president as part of the reorganisation in the state Congress. This comes even as the AICC general secretary in-charge of Kerala, Deepa Dasmunshi, has initiated unofficial discussions on a rejig.
According to a highly placed party source, Deepa informed Sudhakaran that the high command is in favour of the complete reorganisation of the KPCC. The central leadership also conveyed the desire of a section of leaders for new and young blood at the helm. Sudhakaran reportedly rejected the idea, stating that filling vacant positions was the need of the hour. He also denied questions over his health.
Speaking to reporters, Sudhakaran dismissed reports of a change at the top as rumours. “These are being aired by news channels,” he said.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan and party leaders supporting him were mooting the idea of an organisational overhaul ahead of the local self-government and assembly elections. “With Satheesan as the leader of opposition we need a younger and more vibrant leader as KPCC president,” a leader said. “We have been neglecting youths for some time. Sudhakaran’s health is an issue. Social engineering is now key to power,” he told TNIE.
Leaders who are against removing Sudhakaran are of the view that reorganisation would have to be implemented at the level of KPCC office-bearers and other posts.
The Congress currently has 22 KPCC general secretaries, four vice presidents and three working presidents. The post of KPCC treasurer, one working president and two general secretaries are vacant. “We need to strengthen the KPCC under Sudhakaran,” a senior leader said. “New faces should be brought in as office-bearers and KPCC secretaries. Special attention should be accorded to reorganising underperforming DCCs,” he added.
Meanwhile, CWC member Shashi Tharoor has come out in support of Sudhakaran. “Though I do not know of any decision of the high command, in my opinion there is no need to change the KPCC president,” Tharoor told reporters on Sunday.
“Under Sudhakaran’s leadership, UDF won 18 seats in the 2024 general election. We also won all the sitting seats in the recent bypoll. We increased our margin of victory in Wayanad. I don’t understand what his drawbacks are. My belief is that under his leadership the party has performed well,” he said.
Some senior leaders are apprehensive that Satheesan is now trying to take control of the organisation. Satheesan’s move comes, they say, as opposition voices in the party have been weakened, with a weakened ‘A’ group and fragmented ‘I’ faction backing Ramesh Chennithala.
“You need mature and tall leaders to talk to community leaders. If you do not send a leader of stature, community heads will treat it as an affront. Sudhakaran won the Kannur LS seat by over one lakh votes. His health has improved. We also posted impressive wins in the Palakkad and Wayanad bypolls. This is a bid to weaken Sudhakaran,” a veteran leader said.
Tharoor’s support
CWC member Shashi Tharoor has come out in support of Sudhakaran. “Though I do not know of any decision of the high command, in my opinion there is no need to change the KPCC president,” Tharoor said. Under Sudhakaran’s leadership, UDF won 18 seats in the 2024 general election. “I don’t understand what his drawbacks are,” he further said.