N.D. Appachan quits as Wayanad DCC president

N.D. Appachan, president of the Wayanad District Congress Committee (DCC), has resigned from his post, reportedly following instructions from the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

T.J. Isaac, chairman, Kalpetta Municipality, has been given the additional charge of the DCC president for now.

The reported differences of opinion between two factions in the party’s district unit had been a cause for concern for the KPCC. The faction led by I.C. Balakrishnan, Sulthan Bathery MLA, had come out in the open quite often against the one led by Mr. Appachan, forcing the KPCC to issue a warning to them to settle their disputes amicably.

The suicides of local leaders from the district also put the party under pressure.

The State Congress leadership was worried about the damage being caused by the negative reports coming out from Wayanad represented in the Lok Sabha by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Also, Mr. Appachan’s resignation comes at a time when the KPCC is all set to replace DCC presidents across the State.

It is learnt that the party’s Central leadership had directed the KPCC to sort out the problems in its Wayanad unit before the local body polls in the State. K.C. Venugopal, All-India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of organization, and Sunny Joseph, KPCC president, had held discussions with the district leaders during Ms. Vadra’s recent visit to the district.