THIRUVANTHAPURAM: As the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) gears up for a major organisational overhaul, internal concerns are mounting over the lack of representation for marginalised communities, particularly the Ezhava community, the largest OBC group in the state.
Once known for its strong community arithmetic, the Congress in Kerala now finds itself facing a critical challenge: ensuring equitable caste representation within its leadership. This issue has come to the fore as the party deliberates on appointments to key posts, including new KPCC office bearers and district Congress committee (DCC) presidents.
Amid growing criticism, the remarks by Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan have intensified the debate. Following the removal of K Sudhakaran from the KPCC president's post, Natesan accused Opposition Leader V D Satheesan of influencing the change and alleged anti-Ezhava bias.
“In the top posts of Congress, there is no OBC representation now,” a senior Congress leader admitted to TNIE. “Though Adoor Prakash is the UDF convenor, he does not hold a leadership position within the party. The available data calls into question the Congress leadership’s claims on social engineering,” he added.
Of the 14 DCCs in the state, only four presidents belong to the Ezhava community. Among the 14 Congress MPs, just two are from the community. Out of the party's 22 MLAs, only one represents the Ezhavas. Notably, none of the three newly appointed working presidents of KPCC hail from this group.
In the KPCC’s organisational structure, representation remains skewed. Of the 22 general secretaries, seven are from the Nair community, six from the Christian community, and seven from the Muslim community, while the Ezhava community is limited to just five leaders.
Although the new KPCC president was chosen to pacify the Christian church, Christian dominance, particularly among Roman Catholics, remains evident. The community holds five MP seats and nine MLA positions, and five of the 14 DCC president posts.
Within the Congress Working Committee (CWC), apart from K Sudhakaran, the other three members are from the dominant Nair caste. Including the KPCC president and Opposition Leader, Nair representation increases to four. Kodikunnil Suresh, who represents the Scheduled Castes, attends only as a special invitee. Another extended CWC member, MK Raghavan parliamentary party secretary, is also from the Nair community.
In the 34-member Political Affairs Committee (PAC), five leaders represent the Ezhava community, while Nair and Christian communities have eight and nine representatives, respectively. Among the 22 MLAs, nine are Christian and seven are Nair. Muslim representation is limited to three. In the KPCC office-bearer list, only two members belong to the Scheduled Castes, and just two DCC presidents are from the Muslim community.
Leadership of the party’s frontal organisations further underscores the imbalance: KPCC president Sunny Joseph, Mahila Congress president Jebi Mether, Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil (a Nair), and KSU president Aloysius Xavier (Christian) all come from dominant or well-represented communities. "There is no leader from the Ezhava community in any of these posts," a KPCC leader pointed out.
“Rahul Gandhi is calling for upliftment of OBCs in the organisation. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal is tasked with implementing that vision. Muslim representation is managed through the Indian Union Muslim League. So, it remains to be seen how he will approach his own state,” the leader added.
As the Congress prepares for a new phase in Kerala, all eyes are on whether the party will move beyond symbolic representation and embrace genuine inclusivity in its leadership structure.