‘Governments come and go’: Sudhakaran purportedly questions Congress leadership

A simmering discontent within the Kerala Congress has resurfaced, with a video purportedly showing veteran leader K Sudhakaran expressing anguish over his removal as Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president.

He was also seen questioning the party’s political priorities on Wednesday, just days after the state unit cautioned leaders against airing their differences in public.

The video, circulated on social media, features Sudhakaran, the Congress MP from Kannur and former KPCC chief, speaking about what he described as the unjustified decision to remove him from the top organisational post.

The Press Trust of India could not independently verify the footage's authenticity.

In the purported recording, Sudhakaran claims that he had steered the Congress through challenging periods and helped secure significant electoral victories during his tenure.

He reportedly maintains that the party’s accomplishments under his leadership are part of its history, while expressing hurt over what he described as efforts by a group within the organisation to dislodge him without valid grounds.

Drawing on his long-standing opposition to political violence in Kannur, Sudhakaran reportedly says his criticism stems from personal experience rather than individual hostility.

He objects to a political culture that loses human lives in the name of political allegiance.

‘Governments come and go, and power changes hands,’ he appears to say in the video, while stressing that the Congress should not compromise its self-respect for political power.

The veteran leader also warns against overlooking the sacrifices of party workers who shed blood and remained committed to the organisation through difficult periods.

He suggests that disregarding their contributions would ultimately do the Congress no good.

He further argues that holding a government accountable should not be the opposition’s exclusive responsibility.

He also says members of the ruling establishment must be willing to question wrongdoing within their own ranks.

Rather than surrounding the government with people who offer uncritical praise, Sudhakaran appears to call for individuals prepared to challenge its mistakes.

The video's emergence comes two days after KPCC president Sunny Joseph warned party leaders against making contentious remarks in public, cautioning that such statements would benefit neither the individuals concerned nor the organisation.

The warning followed criticism within the Congress over the alleged delay in registering a first information report against CPM veteran Pinarayi Vijayan in the alleged CMRL bribery case.

It also came amid UDF convener Adoor Prakash's criticism of Chief Minister VD Satheesan.

The latest episode comes against the backdrop of organisational changes in the Kerala Congress in May last year, when Sunny Joseph was appointed KPCC president in place of Sudhakaran and three new working presidents were named.

While the authenticity of the circulating video remains unverified, its emergence has brought questions over leadership changes, internal dissent and the party's approach to public criticism back into focus.