A day after Janadhipathya Kerala Congress (JKC) chairman Francis George announced the organisation’s merger with the Kerala Congress (M) faction led by P.J. Joseph, a State committee meeting convened by the rival faction here on Saturday appointed K.C. Joseph the new chairman of the organisation.
The meeting, attended by senior leaders such as K.C. Joseph and Antony Raju, also decided to report the desertion by Mr. George to the Election Commission of India. Senior party leader P.C. Joseph was appointed party working chairman while senior Antony Raju would continue as vice chairman.
According to JKC leaders, as many as eight State general secretaries, six district presidents, and 174 of the 240 party State committee members attended the meeting.
To convene meet
Soon after assuming office, the newly appointed chairman convened a meeting of district presidents, State functionaries, and office-bearers of the feeder organisations. It was decided to convene the district committees from March 16 to 24.
Two days ago, a parallel State committee meeting convened by Francis George at Muvattupuzha approved a resolution to disband the party. This was followed by a formal announcement of its merger with the KC(M) group led by P.J.Joseph at a function at the residence of Mr. Joseph at Thodupuzha.
The merger makes Mr.George the second prominent KC leader after Johny Nelloor to realign with the Joseph group, which has been on an expansion spree of late.
The faction that merged with the KC(M) group also comprised a few senior JKC leaders, including former Parliament Member Vakkachan Mattathil, general secretary (office charge) M.P. Poly, and Thomas Kunnappally, among others.
A few Kerala Congress leaders led by Francis George, K.C. Joseph, Antony Raju, and P.C. Joseph quit KC(M) in 2016 to form the Janadhipathya Kerala Congress following differences with the then party supremo K.M. Mani.
The party was included in the Left Democratic Front two years later.
