Sunny Joseph has his task cut out as new Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Premium

New KPCC president Sunny Joseph faces challenges in reviving Congress in Kerala ahead of crucial elections.

Hardly a few months ahead of the local body elections this year and the 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala, the newly appointed Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, Sunny Joseph, whose political activity is largely confined to Kannur district, appears to face a more daunting task than his predecessors, K. Sudhakaran and Mullappally Ramachandran, both of whom are from north Kerala.

Although the Congress high command chose Mr. Joseph, who is perceived to be a confidant of Mr. Sudhakaran, the latter’s remarks expressing objections to the manner he was replaced have further complicated matters for the Congress leaders. Mr Joseph, who was in Kozhikode on Friday (May 16, 2025), refused to react to Mr. Sudhakaran’s statement.

Whether Mr. Joseph, a three-time legislator, can pull off a victory for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in the 2026 Assembly polls remains to be seen. The three-tier local body elections, expected in October or November this year, will thus be a litmus test and early indicator of his leadership effectiveness, party sources said.

Mr. Joseph’s appointment comes at a time when the electoral fortunes of the Congress party have been dwindling steadily over the last decade, especially in the Assembly polls. Particularly in the six districts of north Kerala, where the party has just six legislators of 60 Assembly segments and lacks representation in the Kozhikode and Kasaragod districts. Statewide, the Congress party has 21 MLAs of the total 140.

Unlike seasoned politicians like Mr. Sudhakaran and Mr. Mullappally, Mr. Joseph’s popularity is limited. Mr. Sudhakaran was a four-term member of the Legislative Assembly and was a minister in A. K. Antony’s third ministry, and was elected from the Kannur parliamentary constituency twice, while Mr. Ramachandran was a five-time MP from the Kannur constituency and twice from Vadakara and was also a Union Minister for Home Affairs from 2009 to 2014.

Nevertheless, second-rung leaders are hopeful of the party bouncing back.

Kozhikode District Congress Committee (DCC) president K. Praveen Kumar says that “Mr. Sunny Joseph is a leader of the masses. He is well connected with the grassroots-level workers and knows their pulse. The workers will follow him ardently.”