Cong rejigs Kerala unit with eye of 2026 polls, appoints Sunny Joseph as its chief
New Delhi, May 8 (PTI): The Congress initiated organisational changes in its Kerala unit by appointing Sunny Joseph as the chief in place of K Sudhakaran and naming three new working presidents on Thursday.
Joseph, a legislator in the Kerala Assembly, will lead the state unit of the grand old party in next year's assembly polls. He will supported by newly appointed working presidents P C Vishnunadh and A P Anil Kumar and Shafi Parambil.
While Vishnunadh and Kumar are MLAs, Parambil is an MP.
Besides the four, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge also appointed Adoor Prakash, a party MP, as the convener of the United Democratic Front alliance in the state.
The appointments have been made with an eye on the 2026 state polls with the tenure of the current assembly ending on May 23, next year.
"The Congress president has appointed the president and working presidents of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), and also approved the proposal of the appointment of the convenor of the UDF, with immediate effect.
"The new president of KPCC will be Sunny Joseph, MLA, and the convenor of the UDF will be Adoor Prakash, MP. The new working presidents of the KPCC are P C Vishnunadh, MLA, A P Anil Kumar, MLA and Shafi Parambil, MP," a statement from AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said.
In the statement, the party appreciated the contributions of the outgoing Kerala unit chief K. Sudhakaran, MP and that of the UDF convenor M M Hassan.
"The party also conveys its appreciation for the contributions of the outgoing working presidents of the KPCC, Kodikkunnil Suresh, MP, T N Prathapan, and T. Siddique, MLA," he also said in the statement.
P C Vishnunadh, MLA, is being relieved of his current responsibilities as AICC Secretary, the party also said in its statement.
In another statement, Venugopal said the Congress president has appointed K Sudhakaran, and Akhilesh Prasad Singh, both MPs, as permanent invitees to the Congress Working Committee with immediate effect.
Akhilesh Prasad Singh was recently replaced as Bihar Congress chief.
Hearty congratulations to new #KPCC President #SunnyJoseph, #UDF Convenor #AdoorPrakash & working presidents #APAnilKimar, #PCVishnunath & #ShafiParambil.
— V D Satheesan (@vdsatheesan) May 8, 2025
Thanks to outgoing KPCC president #KSudhakaran who has been appointed as the permanent appointee to #AICC working committe. pic.twitter.com/lqvaBe1XR9
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Minister Parameshwara says remarks on properties linked to drug peddlers 'misunderstood'
Tumakuru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said his recent remarks on the demolition of properties linked to those involved in narcotics trade were "misunderstood and misinterpreted".
His clarification follows remarks made two days ago on the government's uncompromising crackdown on the drug menace, including action against properties linked to foreign nationals allegedly involved in drug trafficking.
"It is unfortunate. It is taken in the wrong sense. I didn't mean that tomorrow itself I am going to send bulldozers and demolish the houses. That was not my intention. It was wrongly taken," he told reporters here.
Responding to Congress MLC K Abdul Jabbar's question in the legislative council on the growing drug menace in Bengaluru, Davangere and coastal districts, the minister on Thursday detailed the extensive enforcement measures initiated since the Congress government assumed office.
Pointing to the involvement of some foreign nationals, the minister had said, "Many foreign students from African countries have come to Karnataka. They are into the drug business. We catch them and register cases against them, but they want the case to be registered because once the case is registered, we cannot deport them."
"We have gone to the extent of demolishing the rented building where they stay," he had said.
