Thiruvananthapuram: For 73-year-old Mullapally Ramachandran, who has been appointed as the new KPCC president, it is not going to be a smooth sail ahead for him. With Lok Sabha elections round the corner, KPCC's preparations have been way behind the CPM and BJP. If there is one flaw in Mullapally, it is going to be his inability to amass funds for elections. This is where AICC leadership has come up with three working presidents, K.Sudhakaran, M.I.Shahnavas and Kodikunnil Suresh who will be entrusted with the task of mobilising funds.
Mullapally had the blessings of AICC general secretary Oommen Chandy's 'A' group, especially that of CWC leader A.K.Antony. 'I' group leader and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala was keen to see that M. M. Hassan continues in office. A native of Chombala in Kozhikode district, Mullapally has the track record of an unblemished and seasoned politician. Son of former freedom fighter Mullapally Gopalan, he won five times consecutively from Kannur Lok Sabha seat, which was always a strong bastion of the CPM. In 2009 and 2014, Mullapally successfully contested from Vatakara Lok Sabha seat. Mullapally is one of the few leaders in the Congress who has worked under Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and now Rahul Gandhi. Mullapally played a key role in the appointment of Rahul Gandhi as AICC president."Ever since Mullapally meticulously headed the AICC election committee, it was expected that he will be entrusted with a challenging position. But I am wondering why Rahul Gandhi delayed Mullapally's appointment as KPCC president,’’ a senior Congress leader told DC.Not many know that Mullapally's father had to sell his ancestral home due to the liability he incurred owing to the visit of Jawaharlal Nehru to Chombala in Kozhikode. Later, the junior Mullapally brought Indira Gandhi also to the same ground where he recalled this incident. He entered Congress politics through student politics and went on to become union minister of State for agriculture in P. V. Narasimha Rao's Government in 1991 and also as union minister of state for home in Manmohan Singh's UPA Government in 2009. His wife is Usha Ramachandran and daughter Parvathi.
