Kerala: Congress mulling high-powered panel to solve Sudhakaran dilemma

The Congress party is toying with the idea of forming a high-powered committee in Kerala to address the dilemma of being unable to directly remove K. Sudhakaran from the state party president post.

 

Discussions and rumours about a potential successor to Sudhakaran have circulated on multiple occasions in recent times. And the party’s Kerala in-charge, Deepa Dasmunshi, had even held one-on-one meetings with select leaders to gauge their opinions on the matter. But the Congress High Command had later realised that any action without taking Sudhakaran into confidence may not work in the party’s favour.

 

Sudhakaran was chosen to replace Mullappally Ramachandran as KPCC president shortly after the Congress suffered a defeat in the assembly elections. At the time, his elevation was widely supported by leaders in Kerala. There was optimism that his Kannur-style politics would revitalise the Congress, rekindle party workers' confidence, and bring fresh dynamism to the party. Sudhakaran had promised to transform the Congress into a semi-cadre party, setting high expectations for his tenure.

 

Four years on, Sudhakaran’s track record as KPCC president has been a mixed bag. Some of his promises, including the semi-cadre structure, remain unfulfilled. Additionally, doubts and rumours about his health and physical ability to perform his duties have surfaced. A growing perception that Opposition leader V.D. Satheesan and KPCC President K. Sudhakaran are not on the same page also affected the party.

 

Sudhakaran is dissatisfied with the idea of stepping down from his post. So, the party is now reportedly considering a proposal for a high-powered committee—consisting of a select senior leaders, including the opposition leader and former KPCC presidents—as an alternative way to rejuvenate and run the organisational system of the party, while keeping Sudhakaran also satisfied.

 

The Nilambur by-election and the upcoming local body polls are the immediate challenges for the Congress. However, the party’s current deliberations also appear to factor in the crucial assembly election year ahead. Recently, the KPCC leadership faced public ridicule after senior leaders were seen jostling for front-row visibility during the inauguration of the Kozhikode DCC office—an episode that drew widespread criticism.

India