KPCC Appoints Chandy Oomen, Shama in Talent Hunt Roles

Thiruvananthapuram: In what appears to be a carefully orchestrated attempt to pacify internal dissent, Chandy Oomen has been appointed AICC Talent Hunt Coordinator for Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. While the title sounds like a promotion, party insiders say it is more of a symbolic gesture, a consolation prize designed to acknowledge his influence while keeping him away from core decision-making.

The decision follows a series of very public complaints from Chandy. First came the shock of being removed from the Youth Congress national outreach programme on his father’s memorial day without prior notice. Then, the KPCC jumbo list added insult to injury, leaving him off a roster of 13 vice presidents and 58 general secretaries, prompting him to quietly exit most party WhatsApp groups, dismissing it all as mere “phone issues.”

Shama Mohammad, who had also been overlooked in the jumbo list, has been assigned Goa under the same Talent Hunt scheme. Insiders say the move barely masks the party’s indifference, as she had been eyeing a proper ticket in the upcoming election.

Sources suggest these appointments were less about talent and more about factional balancing. Chandy’s ongoing rift with Shafi Parambil and Rahul Mamkoottathil, coupled with the party’s desire to manage dissent without creating a scene, reportedly influenced the decision.

For KPCC, it is the perfect mix of visibility and containment. Titles are handed out, egos appeased, and the circus continues, only in a different ring, with everyone still firmly under the big tent.