In maiden speech as Kerala Congress chief, Sunny Joseph addresses party unit factionalism, urges unity
'In Kerala, people want to end the corrupt Pinarayi government. Coming from Kannur, we know the violence the Communist Party is unleashing in the district. They destroyed the Congress flag and a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. When we organised a meeting to protest against it, the party was also trying to use violence to suppress it,' he said.
Assuming charge as the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Chief, Joseph vowed to mobilise party workers in a determined campaign to unseat the 'corrupt' Pinarayi Vijayan-led administration.
Thiruvananthapuram: Amid persistent factionalism within the state unit, new Kerala Congress chief Sunny Joseph Monday urged party leaders to set aside their differences and unite under the Congress umbrella to defeat the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
Joseph added that Congress could win the upcoming election if it highlighted the 'criminal and corrupt practices' of the current regime. He made the remarks at a function held at the party headquarters, 'Indira Bhavan', in Thiruvananthapuram Monday.
Considered one of the strongholds of the Congress in India, the Kerala unit has long been marred by infighting, with leaders split into the 'A' and 'I' factions. The 'I' group, which emerged in the late 1970s, was led by late chief minister K. Karunakaran and later included leaders like Sudhakaran, Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan, and Ramesh Chennithala. The 'A' group, led by former defence minister A. K. Antony, included former chief minister Oommen Chandy and outgoing convenor M. M. Hasan.
While these leaders continue vying for power and the chief ministership, the party has also seen the re-emergence of national figures such as K. C. Venugopal and Shashi Tharoor, adding another dimension to the internal struggle ahead of the crucial polls.
'We are not doing it alone. We will do it together,' Joseph said, adding that he would welcome criticism and suggestions from party leaders and cadres to improve his work.
A three-time MLA representing Peravoor in Kannur district, Joseph is the Kerala Congress's first-ever president from the high ranges of the state—a region dominated by plantations and farmlands. In recent years, the area has faced a rise in human-animal conflicts and growing anger toward the government's inability to address them. His appointment also comes at a time when Kerala's Christian community—once a loyal Congress vote bank—is gradually leaning towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Alongside Joseph, Attingal MP Adoor Prakash was appointed convenor of the party, while Kundara MLA P. C. Vishnunath, Wandoor MLA A. P. Anil Kumar, and Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil were named working presidents.
The new leadership takes charge amid a wave of dissatisfaction from party workers over the removal of Sudhakaran, who himself put up a fight to retain his post. The senior leader and Kannur MP met Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi 2 May, sparking speculation over his ousting.
However, Sudhakaran refuted these rumours, declaring he would not step down until the Pinarayi government was removed from power. Amid the uncertainty, posters supporting his leadership appeared outside party offices across the state, including at its Thiruvananthapuram headquarters. In response, the central leadership, including K. C. Venugopal, dismissed reports of a leadership overhaul. The announcement of the new KPCC Chief was finally made 8 May, amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions.
'When A. K. Antony was appointed KPCC chief in 1976, I was just a student. That day, after attending one of his events, I walked two miles home, washed my shirt and dhoti, ironed them and wore them to his next event in Payyavoor,' Joseph recalled, speaking of his early years as a lower-middle-class Congress supporter.
Speaking at the event, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and Alappuzha MP K. C. Venugopal said that while Joseph may be soft-spoken, he possesses ideological strength.
'Our aim is serious. We are witnessing the team take over a serious responsibility to lead the Congress party to victory in this year's local body elections and assembly elections next year,' he said, adding that the only way to achieve that aim was to work together to dethrone a government 'hated even by communists in the state.'
'Congress is everything. Without Congress, we are nothing. Our past experiences have taught us that. So, we have to continue working to strengthen the party,' he added.
Venugopal said the national leadership recognised Sudhakaran's contributions over the past four years and had appointed him a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC).
Presiding over the event, Sudhakaran also emphasised party unity. He said that under his leadership, the Congress performed well in all elections, including the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. While the party failed to win the Chelakkara seat in the recent bypoll, he noted that it had significantly reduced the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s lead in its bastion—from 40,000 to 13,000.
'Congress was a party that was tired of group war. We haven't seen it any time recently. It's because of our unity. And I thank you all for supporting it. You are my support. It doesn't matter if I have stepped down as president. I will be with all of you for all the activities. We have to win, we have to rule and show the Congress's strength in power, and I will always be there for all of it,' he said.
He added that over the past four years, he had steered the party toward a semi-cadre structure by strengthening its organisational base, noting that there had been no major protocol violations by party cadres.
'Creating CUC was my dream project. But we couldn't complete it. Sunny, we should complete it at any cost,' he said.
Sudhakaran's pet project, the Congress Unit Committees (CUC), were conceived as sub-booth level grassroots bodies to ensure tighter coordination. Although thousands of CUCs were formed following the 2021 announcement, many became inactive by 2023, stalling the initiative.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
Also Read: Who is Sunny Joseph & why Congress picked him as K Sudhakaran's replacement for post of Kerala chief
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