Speculation rife over selection of new KPCC chief

After a brief interval, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) is once again at the centre of a speculation frenzy with calls for a full-time KPCC president and adherence to the ‘one person, one post’ principle gaining momentum.

While the names of several senior leaders have already started doing the rounds, the AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, Deepa Dasmunshi, is in Thiruvananthapuram reportedly to steer discussions with senior leaders regarding the choices before the party. The incumbent KPCC president, Sunny Joseph, who is now the Electricity Minister in the V.D. Satheesan Cabinet, had already expressed readiness to vacate the party post citing the rigours of ‘dual responsibility.’

Senior leaders, including former State presidents Mullappally Ramachandran and K. Muraleedharan, who is now the Health Minister, have spoken out in support of a reorganisation. The matter is not confined to the post of KPCC president as several top functionaries of the Congress’s State unit are now Ministers. Following a revamp at the top in May 2025, Mr. Joseph had taken charge as the new KPCC president while Shafi Parambil, P.C. Vishnunadh, and A.P. Anil Kumar were appointed KPCC working presidents. However, after the UDF’s 2026 Assembly election win, Mr. Joseph, Mr. Vishnunadh and Mr. Anil Kumar were inducted into Mr. Satheesan’s Cabinet as Ministers. Another top functionary who is now a Minister is Youth Congress president O.J. Janeesh.

Incumbent’s stance

Speaking to the press, Mr. Sunny Joseph indicated his preference for a change in leadership saying that he needed to concentrate on the State’s power sector which was passing through a rough phase. Pointing out that a reorganisation was the solution, he expressed his hope that the AICC leadership would take a timely decision on it.

The sentiment has been reiterated by several top leaders in the Congress’s State unit, who have pointed out that a full-time KPCC chief is necessary to effectively counter the Opposition’s offensives against the UDF government. Mr. Ramachandran had recently stated that a full-time president was an imperative for the KPCC.