From left: K Sudhakaran, Anto Antony
Credit: PTI photo, DH pool photo
Thiruvananthapuram: A shake-up is on the cards in the Congress in Kerala with Lok Saba MP K Sudhakaran likely to be replaced with Lok Sabha MP Anto Antony as Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president.
Tapping into the Christian vote bank is the key reason for the shake-up which may also witness Mathew Kuzhalnadan MLA becoming the party state treasurer, a post which is lying vacant.
With Sudhakaran openly expressing his displeasure over being removed, he is likely to be offered key posts like that of CWC member to pacify him.
Ever since the death of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy there is a strong demand within the party to have a Christian leader at the top, especially since the party suffered serious drain in its Christian vote banks to the left parties in the previous elections.
Even Chandy's victory margin at his home constituency Puthupally in Kottayam had considerably dropped in the 2021 election.
Now that the BJP is also making serious efforts to woo the Christian vote banks, the Congress felt the need for an immediate shake-up ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls as well as the local body polls due to happen this year.
While Lok Sabha MP Benny Behnnan was a much favoured replacement for Sudhakaran, the objection of the Orthodox church against him as he favoured the Jacobite church became a setback for him.
Age became an adverse factor for senior leader K C Joseph, who is close to 80. Though JNU Alumni and second time MLA Roji M John's name was also considered, some veterans in the party were learnt to have objected to it as he is only in his early forties.
Three time MLA Sunny Joseph and Anto Antony were the other choices. The AICC leadership is learnt to have zeroed-in on Anto Antony, who is a fourth time MP from Pathanamthitta, considering seniority as well as more personal connections with the Christian community than Sunny Joseph.
Sources said that the AICC leadership decided to replace Sudhakaran based on a report given by AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala Deepadas Munshi and the AICC already took Sudhakaran into confidence last week. Hence, Sudhakaran's statements on Sunday against removing him has not gone down well with the AICC leadership.
Sudhakaran's health issues, open frictions with opposition leader V D Satheesan on some occasions, some controversial statements and links with fake antique dealer Monson Mavungal are also reasons for replacing him.
Resentment over uncertainty
Meanwhile, the delay on the part of the AICC leadership in taking a final call on the shake-up is even triggering open resentment in the party. Youth Congress state president and MLA Rahul Mamkootatathil said on Monday that the leadership should put an end to the uncertainty especially considering the fact that elections were approaching.
The senior leaders should ensure that the morale of the ordinary workers were not affected, he said.