Congress Seat Dispute in Kannur Escalates Amid Support for K Sudhakaran by Party Workers

Thiruvananthapuram: The internal seat dispute within the Congress Party in Kannur is escalating into a public confrontation. Former KPCC president K Sudhakaran had announced his intention to contest the assembly elections from Kannur, but party leadership, including current KPCC president Sunny Joseph and opposition leader V D Satheesan, opposed this move.

Sudhakaran’s supporters reacted strongly on social media and initially planned a march to the KPCC office in Thiruvananthapuram and to burn Sunny Joseph’s effigy. Leaders intervened to prevent escalation, but the dispute reflects a deep rift between the party cadre in Kannur and the state leadership.

In a detailed Facebook post, Jayant Dinesh, an ardent supporter of K Sudhakaran, emphasized Sudhakaran’s long-standing commitment to the party and the workers in Kannur. He highlighted Sudhakaran’s previous sacrifices, including contesting in strong CPI(M) areas and supporting party decisions without protest, and criticized attempts within the party to portray him as power-hungry.

The post stressed that Sudhakaran remains extremely popular in Kannur, winning by a large margin even in the face of CPI(M) opposition and heavy campaigning. Supporters argue that denying him the chance to contest could weaken the UDF’s prospects in Kannur and neighboring constituencies. The Facebook post frames this not only as a political matter but as a deeply emotional issue for local Congress workers, asserting that they will not passively accept any decision that sidelines Sudhakaran.

This dispute illustrates rising tensions between grassroots party workers and the central leadership in the context of candidate selection for the assembly elections.