O J Janeesh appointed as new Youth Congress president in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: O J Janeesh has been elected as the new Youth Congress president by the party high command here on Monday. He was serving as the state vice president of the organisation prior to his elevation. Binu Chulliyil has been appointed as the working president.

There had been strong speculation that vice president Abin Varkey would assume the top post, but in a move that caught many by surprise, Janeesh secured the leadership. To maintain internal balance, and perhaps to keep tempers in check, Abin Varkey and K M Abhijith have been appointed as national secretaries, a gesture seen as an attempt to ensure no faction feels left out.

Janeesh is facing allegations of embezzling lakhs of rupees collected in Thrissur under the pretext of raising funds to help Wayanad disaster victims. Thrissur DCC member Jelin John had lodged a complaint with AICC General Secretary Deepa Das Munshi, alleging that Janeesh misappropriated around 18 lakh rupees from the collected amount.

The leadership reshuffle comes after the post of Youth Congress president fell vacant following serious sexual misconduct allegations against Congress MLA and former state president Rahul Mamkoottathil. Multiple women levelled accusations against him, with one reportedly coerced into undergoing an abortion. Audio clips related to the incident were leaked to major news channels in Kerala, triggering a major controversy within the party.