‘Sunny Joseph cannot shoulder dual roles’: Chandy Oommen seeks new KPCC chief ahead of Oct 13 meet

Congress MLA Chandy Oommen has called for the appointment of a new Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president at the earliest, saying incumbent Sunny Joseph cannot be expected to manage both his ministerial responsibilities and the party organisation.

“The KPCC should get a new president as soon as possible. Sunny Joseph, who has to handle issues such as the power crisis, cannot also discharge the duties of the KPCC president. The party president needs to travel across Kerala and remain actively involved in organisational work. The election will arrive soon. Protests against the BJP and the Union government must be intensified and sustained. The high command should consider appointing a president who can devote his full attention to revitalising the party,” the Puthuppally MLA said.

His remarks come ahead of a KPCC meeting scheduled for October 13. The meeting is expected to look at growing differences within the Congress over Chief Minister V D Satheesan’s style of functioning, delays in appointments to boards and corporations, and the proposed organisational revamp.

Sunny Joseph has convened a meeting of KPCC office-bearers and all district Congress committee (DCC) presidents at Indira Bhavan at 3 pm. The meeting follows his recent discussions with Satheesan.

The public criticism of Satheesan by UDF convener Adoor Prakash is expected to figure prominently in the discussions. Prakash had alleged that the chief minister was not adequately consulting party leaders and questioned the manner in which key decisions were being taken.

His remarks have sparked a debate within the Congress. While one section of party functionaries considers the criticism a serious disciplinary issue, others argue that the concerns raised by Prakash cannot be dismissed outright.

The delay in distributing board and corporation positions among UDF constituents and appointing chairpersons is also likely to come up. Several Congress leaders have expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of clarity on the appointments, with some alleging that coalition partners have received cabinet-level positions while Congress leaders have been overlooked.

The proposed restructuring of the KPCC and DCCs is another item on the agenda. However, with the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls gaining momentum, the party may prioritise planning protests at the state and district levels rather than immediately proceeding with organisational changes.

The meeting is also expected to discuss ways to improve coordination between the Congress organisation and the state government. A proposal to constitute a committee of senior leaders to strengthen this coordination may be considered. Deepa Dasmunshi, AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, is also likely to attend the meeting.