
Sunny Joseph belongs to the rare breed of Congress leaders who prefer to keep a low profile and remain in the background. That trait must have played a crucial role in making Sunny Vakeel, as he is fondly called, the party’s Kerala president.
Close on the heels of assuming office, he led Congress to victory in the Nilambur bypoll. Sunny shares with TNIE his take on the Nilambur success, P V Anvar factor, ‘Satheesanism’ in the party, larger than life image of Shashi Tharoor, and his optimism about the Congress coming back to power in the next assembly elections. Excerpts
UDF won the Nilambur by-election. Did Congress achieve the success it expected?
I expected a winning margin of 10,000 to 15,000 votes. Ten thousand is a decent margin, and we managed to achieve 11,000.
Did the anti-incumbency factor work in Nilambur?
Yes, because CPM and LDF campaigned intensively. The chief minister (Pinarayi Vijayan) camped there and visited all panchayats. The government agencies worked hard. Yet they suffered a huge loss of votes.
If anti-incumbency worked, shouldn’t UDF have polled more votes in Nilambur which is a Congress bastion?
A margin of 11,000 votes is not bad.
The poll figures show Anvar took away the votes he had brought to the LDF kitty in the last two elections, and hence, UDF won…
You shouldn’t think CPM lost only the votes Anvar canvassed on his own.
How could CPM then retain the same vote share as in 2011?
The total number of votes increased in 2025 compared to 2011. Fifteen years have passed. The votes increased by some 15,000 or 20,000.
Nilambur has always been a UDF stronghold. Did you need the support of religious groups like Jamaat-e-Islami to win the seat?
We would’ve won even otherwise.
Then, what was the need to whitewash Jamaat?
We didn’t seek their support. Nor did we whitewash them. We only resisted attempts by LDF to portray it so.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan did whitewash Jamaat…
He was only replying to a question.
Satheesan said Jamaat has changed its old stand. A video of former Jamaat amir T K Abdulla that went viral shows there’s no change in their earlier position…
What did Saji Cherian say earlier? He made insulting remarks against the Constitution.
Will Jamaat be made an associate member of UDF?
No. Who told you?
They have raised such a demand…
That did not come up for discussion before us.
How can a party like Congress align with a political party floated by Jamaat?
The Leader of Opposition said LDF whitewashed Jamaat-e-Islami when they supported it. LDF will make accusations against them if they do not support it.
CPM and Congress are parties that believe in the ideals of democracy and secularism laid out in the Constitution…
CPM’s belief is namesake, as is evident from the reinstating of (Minister) Saji Cherian.
You are saying this on June 25, the 50th anniversary of Emergency, the day the Constitution was murdered...
No. I do not believe the Constitution was killed then. Emergency is a provision in the Constitution. It was employed then.
Don’t you think it was a mistake?
I don’t think it was a total mistake. There are different aspects to it.
Was it inevitable?
It was related to the situation then and ended at the right time.
During the Nilambur bypoll, the general impression was that Leader of Opposition led the campaign. Was the KPCC chief sidelined?
I’m not answering that. That question doesn’t arise.
Important decisions like fielding Aryadan Shoukath, Jamaat-e-Islami tie-up, and keeping Anvar out were taken by Satheesan…
As part of deciding the candidate, Satheesan and I met the Congress election committee members, including A K Antony. Every election committee member was consulted. On the basis of the discussions, we conveyed the general sentiment to AICC (All India Congress Committee), and Aryadan was made the candidate.
Satheesan said the credit for a win goes to all and he will take responsibility in case of a defeat. It sounded like he was leading the fight...
My point is that it was the joint leadership of UDF. I had said the people are responsible for the win. There is no issue of sidelining. The Leader of Opposition has the total leadership of the UDF. I’m in the leadership of the Congress.
Who took the decision on Jamaat?
They came to us and offered support. We did not ask anything.
What was the reason for changing V S Joy and fielding Aryadan Shoukath in Nilambur?
Who said Joy’s candidature was fixed? Did Joy say that? Joy’s name was also considered. A huge majority of the election committee members proposed Shoukath and that’s why we recommended him.
There’s a general feeling the Leader of Opposition’s body language is visibly arrogant...
I don’t think so. In the last term, we had adjacent seats in the assembly. This time, I was the first to openly propose him as Leader of Opposition.
Do young leaders of your party have an arrogant attitude, which was earlier attributed to CPM leaders?
Did any of them address anyone as “edo Gopalakrishna”. Did we call anyone “nikrishta jeevi” (a wretched creature)? What did M V Jayarajan say about a High Court judge? Did we abuse a renowned parliamentarian “paranari” (a scoundrel)? Congress leaders in recent times haven’t behaved in such a wrong manner.
Didn’t a young Congress MLA threaten an officer on duty saying he will be “delivered a gift”?
There might be some context to it. In some cases, if they copy CPM leaders, they should be corrected. I don’t say Congressmen are all saints. They may learn things from others.
Is there something called ‘Satheesanism’ in the party?
Satheesan is a strong leader and a promising politician. There’s nothing called ‘Satheesanism’.
Until Satheesan, Congress leaders used to have a tactical approach. Is there now a supremacy of a leader?
That’s a wrong perspective. The party achieved good results under him — Thrikkakara, Puthuppally, Palakkad, Nilambur and Chelakkara. He has led UDF well.
What’s IUML’s contribution to Nilambur win?
They had a huge contribution. League leaders and workers toiled hard. Entire UDF deserves credit for the win.
Many in UDF say the sole credit goes to IUML...
Who said such a thing? I give them (IUML) equal share.
Several Congress and UDF leaders wanted to have P V Anvar on board. What happened?
Even Satheesan didn’t say Anvar shouldn’t be inducted. When the Congress high command declares a candidate, and the announcement is made by the AICC president, what should a person who wants to join UDF say? If there’s any difference of opinion, he should tell us and not the media.
When all of you adopted a path of reconciliation, Satheesan maintained the door is closed...
There’s a reason for that. Anvar never corrected his stand.
Or is it because of the serious allegations Anvar raised in the assembly against Satheesan?
Anvar has expressed regret for that and has withdrawn his statement. Satheesan has also said it’s a closed chapter.
Was it an ego issue?
It isn’t an ego issue. Satheesan has only spoken reasonably. Anvar went on to say that Joy was sidelined as he didn’t have a godfather. What godfather? Haven’t I been offered a ticket thrice? Was that because of any godfather?
On the counting day, you said the door has not been closed for Anvar…
That was a general statement. When it is a door, it can be operated either way... opened or shut. If it was a wall, it would be closed forever.
What’s the situation now?
As it is, it’s closed (laughs).
Does that mean it can be opened?
I can’t predict that now. Why are you so particular it should be opened (laughs out loud)?
During Sudhakaran’s tenure, KPCC president’s used to be the final word...
But I’m not the final word. I’ll be making my statements in consultation with all the senior leaders. Even Antony says KPCC president’s word is final. But I know the post means responsibility, not power.
We have seen Satheesan and former KPCC president Sudhakaran fighting for the mic during a press conference…
That isn’t happening now (laughs).
A joke doing the rounds was that one criteria for KPCC president is that he shouldn’t fight with Satheesan for the mic...
(Laughs out)
What were the circumstances under which Sudhakaran was removed?
It was the high command’s decision. That’s a closed chapter. Why should I reopen past episodes (laughs)? Sudhakaran has been elevated to CWC.
Sudhakaran himself has said a CWC berth is no big deal…
It is a big deal (laughs). That’s a bigger post.
Usually, high profile leaders are chosen as KPCC chief. You, however, maintain a relatively low profile...
I have myself checked with a few who suggested my name, whether I’m fit for the job. I asked Vishnu (P C Vishnunadh) who sits next to me (in the assembly). I suggested Roji’s (Roji M John) name, but he in turn proposed my name. When I asked Vishnu, he said a person like me was the need of the hour.
What was the primary mandate the AICC leadership gave you?
To prepare for the 2026 (assembly) polls and take the party forward unitedly. I told Rahulji that our new team has garnered wide acceptance... not my merit, but that of the entire team.
For 2026, LDF has a leader to project. Who does UDF project as its leader?
The LDF leadership is in a state of confusion. Is Pinarayi contesting next time?
M A Baby (CPM general secretary) has said Pinarayi will lead the campaign...
It isn’t about leading the campaign. Is Pinarayi contesting?
LDF has a tall leader in Pinarayi. But in Congress we see four-five leaders...
Congress is rich in leadership. We have many strong leaders. When Oommen Chandy contested, didn’t Chennithala and Satheesan also contest?
But everyone knew OC would be the CM…
Even then, the high command had approached us for our view after the elections.
Is Shashi Tharoor among the leaders you have mentioned?
As it is, he is there.
Is there a chance he may not figure in the list?
That possibility exists for everyone.
The elections are just six to seven months away. Will he still be considered?
Tharoor is both a national leader and an internationally recognised figure. The high command decides the parliamentary party leader after taking into account MLAs’ views. That has been the practice — whether it was K Karunakaran, Antony, Chandy, or later when Chennithala and Satheesan became Opposition Leaders.
Does that mean it isn’t mandatory for Satheesan, being Leader of Opposition, to become chief minister?
There’s no such guarantee. He may or may not become (CM). That depends on the party’s decision.
There’s a strong public perception that Tharoor is a great leader. Why hasn’t the party been able to fully utilise someone like him?
He was made Union minister twice and is part of the CWC. He also chairs important parliamentary committees. The party has certainly given him significant responsibilities.
The question isn’t about positions, but his role in campaigning. Isn’t he one of the best faces the party has?
That’s precisely why he was included in the list of star campaigners in Nilambur.
But Tharoor’s office said they weren’t informed about this...
We all know he was out of the country at the time.
But he was in the state for two days...
Someone visiting for just two days can have a packed schedule.
Isn’t Tharoor the biggest crowd-puller for the party?
I disagree with that superlative. He is certainly a crowd-puller, but not the biggest. Priyanka Gandhi too came for campaigning.
At least, among leaders from Kerala?
Still, I wouldn’t call him the biggest. But yes, he does draw crowds.
CPM was earlier seen as anti-development and now they appear pro-development, while Congress seems to have taken over the anti-development space…
That’s a flawed premise. Congress has always stood for development, even while in the opposition. It was LDF that opposed key projects like GAIL pipeline and metro rail. In the case of Vizhinjam port, they weren’t satisfied even with a vigilance probe and went ahead with a judicial inquiry.
But the LDF government implemented those very projects…
That is just their wrong claim. Congress has consistently maintained a pro-development stand.
Satheesan had declared he wouldn’t allow the Vizhinjam project to happen...
That’s simply not true. Whose baby is Vizhinjam? You need to check. Who finalised the agreement and started work? Who ensured environmental clearance for the project? As per the agreement, this project should’ve been completed long back. Has any work been completed on time in Kerala?
During the tenure of the previous UDF government, the national highways office was closed down in Kerala…
Why did it happen? The Oommen Chandy government had initiated the NH development project. It was the Marxist party that created obstacles in land acquisition. What was their stand on the Kannur airport issue? On the day the first aircraft landed there, the then LDF convener E P Jayarajan staged a protest, seeking to extend the length of the runway. He won from the constituency where this airport is located, and became a minister. Was something done? The length has still not been increased.
But shouldn’t a government overcome such protests?
Yes. We’ve done that. That’s how major development projects like metro rail, airport, and Vizhinjam were brought in. You all know how CPM opposed the Kochi airport project.
The Chandy government had once decided to develop NH stretches with a width of 30m , while the then Opposition CPM demanded 45m.
It was a collective demand that came up at an all-party meeting. Since land acquisition in Kerala is difficult, the all-party meeting demanded to reduce the NH width. CPM too demanded the same.
Pinarayi had publicly demanded a 45m wide NH. Shouldn’t you speak factually?
Yes, I was stating facts.
Will the KPCC president contest the next election?
That’s for the party to decide.
Will sitting MPs contest in the assembly polls?
That too is for the party to decide.
During the bypoll, the party got into several controversies because of new MLA Rahul Mamkootathil...
Though the media highlighted certain things, there were no issues that harmed the party.
Leader of Opposition had claimed Rahul would be admonished...
I won’t use the word admonish. Rahul himself rectified his stand and admitted there were certain lapses on his part.
So, individuals like Rahul enjoy certain privileges in the party...
It isn’t a privilege... I’d say a certain consideration.
You mean the consideration that he’s Satheesan’s close confidant?
He’s a close confidant of all of us, including me (smiles).
If elected to power, will UDF conduct a caste census?
We haven’t thought about it. Those are things we will discuss later.
The party had also spoken about introducing a Faith Protection Legislation in 2021...
We need to think about it. Such a matter hasn’t come before me.
How do you assess the Chief Minister?
The CM is autocratic in his approach. Even within the assembly, what’s his approach towards the Opposition? Has any CM behaved like this in the past? Does he conduct press conferences, does he respond to your questions?
He has been holding press conferences...
But nobody asks questions... maybe they ask as he gets up to leave. We haven’t heard anyone ask questions.
Can we expect a more assertive KPCC president in future?
(Smiles) That depends (on various factors). I won’t speak about myself.
Any plans to exercise power?
I will never be a KPCC president who imposes authority. I’ll be a KPCC president who seeks everybody’s cooperation... a chief who discharges responsibilities. But I have my own opinions.