Congress banks on Christian-Nair equation through Sunny Joseph

The Hindu

08-05-2025

With the nomination of three-time legislator and former Kannur District Congress Committee president Sunny Joseph to the post of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, the Congress high command is hoping to re-experiment the successful Christian-Nair binary ahead of this year's local body elections and the 2026 Assembly polls.
After its back-to-back defeats in the Assembly polls in 2016 and 2021, the Congress leadership has been desperately seeking to regain its political momentum in the State.
Historically, the perceived yin and yang combination, often found in Karunakaran-Antony and to an extent in Chandy-Chennithala, had proved electorally advantageous for the Congress-led United Democratic Front.
The party has witnessed a gradual erosion of support from both the Nair and Christian communities, especially the Syrian Catholic denominations, with many shifting their allegiance to the BJP. Congress leaders believe Mr. Joseph's elevation will politically leverage his Christian background and settler community connections while challenging the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in its traditional stronghold of Kannur.
Incidentally, it is after 21 years a Christian leader is once again helming the Congress party in Kerala. The last Christian to hold the post was P.P. Thankachan in 2004.
With a Christian leader in mind, the Congress leadership also had a tough task finding a middle ground to pacify the outgoing KPCC president K. Sudhakaran and to quell a rebellion within the party when rumours began to circulate that Anto Antony, MP from Pathanamthitta, would be nominated to lead the Congress in Kerala. Mr. Joseph is also a member of the KPCC's political affairs committee.
Known for his grassroots activism and developmental interventions, Mr. Joseph, MLA from Peravur, has played a crucial role in realising the long-standing demand for Iritty taluk's formation. At present, he is chairman of the Assembly's Public Accounts Committee.
Born in Thodupuzha as the eldest son of Vadakekunnel Joseph and Rosakutty, he pursued early education in Ulikal, Edoor, and Kilianthara, followed by graduation from Newman's College, Thodupuzha, and a law degree from Government Law College, Kozhikode.
During his student days, he was active in the student movement, holding positions in the Kerala University union and as a student representative in the University of Calicut Syndicate.
Mr. Joseph's political journey began with the Youth Congress, where he held various posts — from panchayat-level president to District Youth Congress president and, later, District Congress Committee president for six years.
He had also served as district chairman of the UDF and was involved in local governance as president of the Ulikal Service Cooperative Bank, Thalassery Taluk Agricultural Development Bank, and a member of the Kannur district panchayat.
A practising advocate at the Mattannur and Thalassery courts, he also served as president of the Mattannur Bar Association. In 2011, he entered the Assembly defeating CPI(M) leader K.K. Shailaja from the Peravur constituency.
Mr. Joseph has been active in addressing agricultural issues and had led struggles for the welfare of farmers. His three-decade leadership of the Iritty Taluk Formation Action Committee culminated in the government's decision to form 12 new taluks, including Iritty.