Benny Behanan likely to succeed Sunny Joseph as KPCC president

Senior Congress leader and former UDF convenor Benny Behanan has emerged as the frontrunner to become the next president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), with the Congress High Command set to initiate discussions to select a new president for the party’s state unit.

The election of a new KPCC president was necessitated after the incumbent president, Sunny Joseph, joined the V D Satheesan-led UDF cabinet. Additionally, two of the three KPCC working presidents have become ministers, leaving the state party framework drastically short-staffed. Under these circumstances, the Congress High Command is considering a major overhaul of the party’s organizational setup in the state. Along with a new KPCC president, new working presidents will also be named.

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The Congress High Command is weighing communal and social balances heavily in its selection. Behanan’s vast organizational experience makes him a top contender among the state’s Christian leadership choices. With Chief Minister V D Satheesan leading the government, the party high command views a leader from the Christian community, like Behanan or Pathanamthitta MP Anto Antony, as an ideal choice to maintain community representation.

Belonging to the prominent ‘A’ faction (associated with AK Antony and Oommen Chandy) of the party, Behanan’s candidature holds substantial backing from senior national and state leadership, including general secretary K C Venugopal. He served as the General Secretary of the KPCC for 17 years and is a former UDF Convenor, making him deeply familiar with grassroots party machinery.

Mavelikkara MP Kodukunnil Suresh is another top contender for the post. If the high command decides to prioritize representation for the Dalit community instead, Kodikunnil Suresh remains a very powerful alternative candidate in active discussion.

Other potential candidates for the position include Joseph Vazhakkan, an ‘I’ group nominee closely linked to Ramesh Chennithala, and Tomy Kallani, a KPCC general secretary and former Kottayam DCC president. Tomy is also actively campaigning for the post with support from the Catholic Church. Meanwhile, working president Shafi Parambil’s early prospects have faded due to current state community dynamics, despite being a top contender before the elections.

A final decision from the All India Congress Committee (AICC) is expected after formal consultations with Chief Minister V D Satheesan, former state party chiefs and other senior party leaders in the state.