Appu John Joseph: Another son rises in Kerala politics
Thiruvananthapuram: The rise of sons in Kerala politics, particularly within the Kerala Congress party, is far from novel. The latest entrant into the mainstream politics is Appu John Joseph, the eldest son of veteran Kerala Congress leader and 10-time legislator P.J. Joseph.
Appu, an IT professional, is stepping into a legacy shaped by his 83-year-old father, who currently leads a faction of the Kerala Congress. This faction exists alongside several other splinter groups bearing the same name, each distinguished by its leader’s identity.
The prominent Kerala Congress factions include the one led by P.J. Joseph, Kerala Congress (M), Kerala Congress (J), Kerala Congress (B), and the Democratic Kerala Congress. All these groups have representation in the 140-member Kerala Legislative Assembly.
While the Joseph-led Kerala Congress and Kerala Congress (J) align with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), factions such as Kerala Congress (M), Kerala Congress (B), and the Democratic Kerala Congress are part of the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
Since the formation of the first Kerala Congress in 1970, the party has undergone numerous splits. Its legendary leader K.M. Mani famously remarked that the party “splits as it grows and grows as it splits.”
Over the years, many prominent Kerala Congress leaders, including K.M. Mani, K.M. George, R. Balakrishna Pillai, and T.M. Jacob, have passed away. Interestingly, their children have carried forward their political legacies, holding significant positions in state and national politics.
Jose K. Mani, son of K.M. Mani, is a Rajya Sabha MP. Francis George, son of K.M. George, represents Kottayam in the Lok Sabha. K.B. Ganesh Kumar, son of R. Balakrishna Pillai, and Anup Jacob, son of T.M. Jacob, are both state legislators.
Now, Appu John Joseph is set to join this illustrious group. Currently serving as the head of the professional wing of his father’s faction, Appu will soon be inducted into the party’s high-power committee, its apex decision-making body.
In this five-member committee, Appu is expected to replace former state minister T.U. Kuruvilla. Moreover, speculation is rife that P.J. Joseph, who has long represented the Thodupuzha Assembly seat, may step aside in favour of his son during the 2026 assembly elections.
As Appu’s political journey begins, it underscores the enduring legacy of family politics within the Kerala Congress, a tradition as robust as the party’s history of splits and reunions.