THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior Congress leader and former UDF convenor Benny Behnan is emerging as the frontrunner for the post of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, which is expected to fall vacant as incumbent party president Sunny Joseph prepares to contest the upcoming assembly elections from his home constituency, Peravoor.
Party sources indicate that internal discussions are gaining momentum within the Congress over the leadership change, with Behnan’s name receiving considerable support from senior leaders.
The anticipated transition of power is viewed as part of the party's broader strategy to streamline organisational responsibilities ahead of polls.
Sunny Joseph is likely to step down from the KPCC chief’s post to focus on his electoral campaign, prompting the high command to consider a replacement who can ensure organisational stability during the crucial pre-election period. Behnan, a seasoned politician and MP, is seen by many within the party as a consensus candidate capable of balancing various factions and community equations.
While no official announcement has been made, indications from within the party suggest that a decision could be finalised soon as the preparation of the Congress candidate list enters its final stage.
Though, earlier the names of working president Shafi Parambil and Anto Antony had also surfaced. The Congress reportedly is zeroing in on Behnan after weighing multiple political and organisational factors.
The leadership is of the view that in case of Sunny Joseph vacating KPCC president post, the new president post should wrest with a senior leader from the Christian community.
Behnan’s experience in politics with his close association with former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and ability to take all factions unitedly made him a favourite.
Party leaders dismissed the reports of considering Shafi Parambil for the post for two reasons.
“Shafi is compared with many senior leaders. We did not want to strain the relationship with the Church which has informally expressed a preference for a leader from Christian community to be considered for the KPCC president post,” said a Congress leader.
Allegations of relation with Sabarimala gold plate accused and a new accusation from a financier ruled out Pathanamthitta MP Anto Antony’s chances.