KPCC revamp: Cong balances community, caste; picks Sunny Joseph as new chief
While his appointment is unlikely to fully satisfy all factions, the leadership appears to have prioritised a formula that manages competing interests and community equations
In a delicate exercise of social and political balancing, the Congress high command has appointed Peravoor MLA Sunny Joseph as the new president of the KPCC, replacing the outgoing chief K Sudhakaran who has now been appointed a permanent invitee in the CWC.
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Alongside the appointment, senior MP Adoor Prakash has been named the convener of the UDF, signalling the AICC’s intent to pacify internal dissent while reinforcing caste-community equilibrium within the party’s Kerala unit.
Compromise candidate
The decision follows weeks of intense speculation over a leadership change in the KPCC, with factional feuds and community pressures shaping the outcome. Four-time Pathanamthitta MP Anto Antony had earlier emerged as the frontrunner for the top post, backed by sections of the Catholic clergy and central Kerala leaders. However, his elevation was reportedly blocked by both Sudhakaran and senior leader K Muraleedharan, who questioned Antony’s acceptability across factions and communities.
Instead of Antony, the AICC zeroed in on Sunny Joseph, a Catholic leader from North Kerala who is a known Sudhakaran loyalist. His selection is seen as a compromise candidate aimed at retaining Christian support while defusing resistance from within. The KPCC revamp also ensures broader social representation through the appointment of three working presidents: Shafi Parambil, AP Anilkumar, and PC Vishnunath – Muslim, Dalit and Nair faces – giving the party a visibly inclusive organisational face ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Eye on Ezhavas
A key concern during the transition was the potential fallout among the Ezhava community, a numerically strong OBC bloc that constitutes roughly 23% of Kerala’s population. Sudhakaran, who belongs to this group, was the third consecutive Ezhava to head the KPCC, following VM Sudheeran and Mullappally Ramachandran. While traditionally a secular voting base with a soft leaning toward the Left, the Ezhava community has seen increased engagement from the BJP post-2024, prompting anxiety within both the Congress and CPI(M) camps.
Sudhakaran’s exit, therefore, risked alienating this crucial demographic. To mitigate this, the high command appointed Adoor Prakash—another prominent Ezhava leader—as the UDF convener, ensuring the community retained a visible role in the Congress-led front’s power structure.
Betting on new team
Earlier this week, tension within the party had spilled into public view when supporters of Sudhakaran installed a giant flex board in front of the KPCC office in Thiruvananthapuram. It read: “Let K Sudhakaran continue, let Pinarayi’s rule end,” signalling strong opposition to the leadership change from sections of the Kerala Students Union (KSU) and Youth Congress.
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While Sunny Joseph’s appointment is unlikely to fully satisfy all factions, the leadership appears to have prioritised a formula that manages competing interests and community equations, rather than imposing a unilateral choice. With local body elections approaching and the BJP seeking to make further inroads, the Congress is betting that its new team will project both unity and social inclusiveness — key for its revival prospects in the state.
The coming weeks will test how effectively this new leadership can work together and translate this carefully crafted balancing act into electoral momentum.
