Thiruvananthapuram: With the Lok Sabha elections fast approaching, the Congress on Wednesday appointed a new leadership for its Kerala unit. Mullappally Ramachandran will replace M M Hassan as the new Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi also appointed M I Shanavas, K Sudhakaran and Kodikkunnil Suresh as working presidents. Benny Behanan will be the UDF convener and K Muraleedharan will head the election campaign committee.

Mullappally was favoured by most of the state leaders the high command had consulted before deciding on the KPCC president. Regional, community and group factors also worked to the advantage of Mullappally. Others in the reckoning for the president’s post included K V Thomas, Kodikkunnil Suresh, K Sudhakaran, V D Satheesan and K Muraleedhran.

The Congress leadership aimed to implement a package which included the posts of KPCC chief and UDF convener, the Rajya Sabha seat and membership in the Congress Working Committee.

The ‘A’ group had not campaigned hard for its own candidate for the chief’s post. It, in fact, backed Mullappally as the KPCC chief to lead the UDF. ‘A’ group wanted a leader who was acceptable to all. “Mullappally is not only a senior leader, but also enjoys widespread popularity due to his clean image,” said a leader of the group.

When the high command conducted an informal voting among the District Congress Committee presidents, they chose candidates based on group affiliations. V D Satheesan, Benny Behanan and K Sudhakaran received most votes. However, some leaders refused to pick a choice saying that an energetic leader should take over as KPCC president considering the present political situation in the state.

Mullappally's political trajectory

Born on April 15, 1946, at Chombala in Kozhikode as the son of freedom fighter Mullappally Gopalan and Paru Amma, Ramachandran started his political career as a KSU activist.

His clean image helped him win from the Left stronghold of Kannur five times and twice from Vadakara.

In KSU, he held the posts of Kozhikode district president and state president. He was also the Calicut University Union chairman in 1968.

Mullappally was elected from Kannur Lok Sabha seat for the first time in 1984. He was appointed KPCC general secretary by Indira Gandhi the same year.

His appointment as KPCC president was expected by the party circles after he successfully managed organisational polls earlier this year.

Mullapally was also union minister of state (Home) in 2009 and minister of state (Agriculture and Cooperation) in 1991-93.