KALPETTA: In a major political development in the Congress party in Wayanad, DCC president N D Appachan tendered his resignation on Thursday, a move that comes just two days after MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra concluded her week-long visit to the constituency.
While AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi was criticised for keeping silent on the questions regarding the turmoil in the party’s Wayanad unit, and highlighting her meeting with notable persons from the socio-cultural fields and posting them on social media, the recent resignation of Appachan shows the impact of her visit.
Appachan has been nominated as the AICC co-opted member from Kerala by the AICC. T J Isaac, the chairman of Kalpetta Municipality, has been appointed as the new Wayanad DCC president. Isaac currently serves as KPCC secretary. He has held positions such as KSU district president, state secretary, Youth Congress Kalpetta Block vice-president and DCC general secretary.
Appachan had served 16 years as Wayanad DCC president during different periods. He was reappointed to the post in August 2021.
The Wayanad Congress has been embroiled in a series of controversies in the recent past, including the suicides of former DCC treasurer N M Vijayan and Mullankolli panchayat member Jose Nelledam. These tragedies, along with allegations of corruption in Congress-ruled cooperative institutions, have been creating a headache for the party.
Priyanka Gandhi reportedly expressed her strong opposition and dissatisfaction over the state of affairs during her recent visit to Wayanad. She voiced her frustration over the continuous controversies and problems that seemed to arise whenever she is in the constituency.
She also raised questions about the Mundakkai-Chooralmala rehabilitation project. The MP had reportedly expressed her opposition to the fact that the project, planned by the KPCC leadership, has not been implemented and the land acquisition has not been completed.
The friction between the district leadership and the MP became particularly evident during Priyanka Gandhi’s latest trip. A noticeable absence was that of ND Appachan from many of her public events, which fueled further speculation and controversy. When questioned by the media about his absence, Appachan had stated he was in Thiruvananthapuram to attend a KPCC meeting.