The crisis within the Congress party’s Wayanad unit deepened on Thursday with senior leader and District Congress Committee (DCC) president ND Appachan stepping down from his post.
His resignation, believed to be in line with directives from the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), comes after months of bitter factionalism, public spats and a series of leader suicides that have tarnished the party’s image in the constituency.
Kalpetta Municipality chairman TJ Isaac has been given interim charge as DCC president until a new appointment is made.
For months, the Wayanad Congress has been sharply divided, with one camp led by Appachan and the other by Sulthan Bathery MLA IC Balakrishnan. Ironically, Balakrishnan himself was ousted as DCC president earlier after internal dissent. Their open clashes forced repeated interventions by the KPCC, which issued warnings to both groups.
The turmoil in Wayanad carries national political weight, as the constituency is represented in Parliament by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Sources said Appachan’s exit followed Priyanka’s dissatisfaction with the functioning of the local unit during her 12-day visit to the constituency earlier this month.
Also Read: Priyanka’s Wayanad visit clouded by suicides
She is believed to have raised concerns over the factional fights, the handling of the leader suicides and the party’s failure to secure land for building homes for victims of the Chooralmala landslides. Priyanka had reportedly assured assistance in mobilising funds for rehabilitation.
Appachan’s resignation also coincides with the KPCC’s larger plan to revamp DCC presidents across Kerala in a bid to tighten organisational discipline before the upcoming local body polls. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) had earlier asked the state leadership to urgently resolve the infighting in Wayanad.
With Appachan’s departure, the Congress hopes to restore order in its Wayanad unit and refocus attention on organisational preparedness rather than internal strife.
Also Read: A year of Wayanad landslides: Kerala govt amps up rehabilitation
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