Thiruvananthapuram: With the Congress high command yet to appoint a full-time KPCC president 100 days after the UDF govt assumed office, concerns over the party’s organisational functioning and growing disconnect between the govt and the party have come to the fore.The issue has assumed greater significance as the incumbent KPCC president Sunny Joseph – now a minister in the UDF cabinet – is unable to devote more time for organisational affairs. Though Joseph has maintained that holding both positions simultaneously is constitutionally and practically possible, he has made it clear that he favours the principle of “one person, one post.”Joseph, who had been away from the KPCC headquarters for a considerable period after assuming ministerial responsibilities, visited the party headquarters on Monday and indicated that he would devote more time to organisational matters.His return comes amid growing discontent among senior Congress leaders over the perceived neglect of the KPCC headquarters since the UDF came to power. Party leaders have complained that with several senior Congress functionaries now occupying ministerial positions, the organisational machinery has not been functioning with the same coordination and political direction.A section of leaders has also raised concerns over the lack of effective coordination between the party organisation and govt. According to party sources, major policy decisions taken by govt are not being adequately discussed in party forums, prompting demands for greater institutional coordination between govt and the party organisation.The pressure for appointing a full-time KPCC president has consequently intensified. Party leaders believe that the organisation needs a full-time political head who can remain outside the govt machinery and concentrate exclusively on strengthening the party ahead of the upcoming political challenges.Political affairs committee, the party’s highest-level state forum, will meet on Sept 3 for the first time since the UDF govt came to power. There are also demands for meetings of KPCC office-bearers and the KPCC executive to be convened at the earliest.The delay in selecting a successor to Joseph has, meanwhile, triggered intense lobbying within the state Congress. Several leaders are in the race for the post, with the contest acquiring added significance as the party seeks to consolidate the political gains made by the UDF in the recent election.Kodikunnil Suresh, Joseph Vazhakkan, Shafi Parambil and Mathew Kuzhalnadan are those who have been under consideration. T N Prathapan and Adoor Prakash, MP, have also emerged as contenders in the latest round of discussions.For the state Congress, the appointment is not merely an organisational exercise. It is also being viewed as a test of the party’s ability to maintain cohesion between govt and the organisation while ensuring that the KPCC retains an independent and effective political voice.
