KOTTAYAM: The Kerala Congress-led by P J Joseph has appointed Joseph’s son Apu John Joseph as the party coordinator. A decision in this regard was taken in the high power committee meeting held at party headquarters in Kottayam on Tuesday. With the decision, Apu, who was serving as the president of the IT and professional wing of the party, has been promoted to the eighth rank within the party hierarchy.
T U Kuruvila, who was serving as the chief coordinator, has been promoted as party deputy chairman, a post which became vacant after Johnny Nellore quit the party to join its rival group Kerala Congress (M). Furthermore, M P Joseph, son-in-law of former KC (M) stalwart K M Mani, has also been appointed as the vice chairman.
Apu, a Switzerland-returned IT professional, is now stepping into the legacy of his 83-year-old father, Joseph, who currently leads the faction. His promotion comes at a time when there is widespread speculation about Joseph retiring from electoral politics after completing his current term in the Assembly.
The new development also suggests the possibility of Joseph gradually passing on the party leadership to his son. This anticipated move will position Apu among the prominent second-generation Kerala Congress leaders, such as Jose K Mani, K B Ganesh Kumar, and Anoop Jacob, who lead different factions of the regional party established by their fathers.
Apu, who returned from Switzerland in 2008, has been actively involved in politics for almost 10 years and has steadily climbed the ranks.
Speaking about his new role, Apu said he would focus on strengthening the party ahead of the upcoming local body elections. “It is certainly a challenging position, as I will be required to travel across the state to coordinate the party’s rank and file. However, I am fortunate to have gained ample experience under the guidance of my father,” he said.