Congress raised ₹5.38 crore for Wayanad rehabilitation, says Sunny Joseph

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph on Saturday said the Congress had mobilised ₹5,38,21,632 for rehabilitation efforts following the Wayanad landslide disaster, asserting that all the transactions were transparent and routed through bank accounts, while accusing the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] of spreading baseless allegations.

Addressing a press conference at Irrity in Kannur, he said the funds were collected through a dedicated app and include a contribution of ₹1.05 crore from the Youth Congress. The money was deposited in a joint account held by the KPCC president and the Leader of the Opposition.

He said 3 acres and 24.7 cents of land were purchased in the first phase for ₹3,68,36,385, including stamp duty, registration, TDS, and survey costs. An additional ₹9.3 lakh was spent earlier on developing the fundraising app during the tenure of former KPCC president K. Sudhakaran.

In the second phase, 2 acres and 18 cents were acquired at a cost of ₹2,50,30,212. After first phase expenses, ₹1,60,55,5247 remained in the Wayanad relief fund, but as it was insufficient, ₹97,51,212 was drawn additionally from the KPCC’s own resources. A further ₹73,90,985 is required for registration and related processes, which the party will raise, Mr. Joseph said. 

He said the total expenditure so far stood at ₹6,27,96,597, exceeding the amount collected for housing. Only ₹77,67,247 remains in the Wayanad relief fund. He added that no fresh funds would be raised for house construction and that remaining works would be completed using AICC and KPCC funds.

‘Open for verification’

Rejecting allegations of financial opacity, he said all transactions were traceable and open for verification, accusing the CPI(M) of attempting to create suspicion.

He also targeted the CPI(M) over alleged financial irregularities, including the martyr’s fund controversy raised by V. Kunhikrishnan in Payyannur, claiming the party failed to publish accounts and instead expelled those who questioned it. He further alleged that similar complaints had come from other parts of the State, including Thiruvananthapuram. 

Mr. Joseph also criticised the CPI(M) for fielding candidates allegedly linked to controversies and referred to cases such as the Sabarimala gold theft case, alleging that those involved were being protected by the party. He questioned the CPI(M)’s credibility in raising allegations against the Congress over rehabilitation and said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had avoided a public debate on the issue.

Highlighting the Congress’ role during the disaster, he said the Opposition cooperated fully with the government and that leaders, including MP Priyanka Gandhi and MLA T. Siddique, worked on the ground. He noted that despite the State government not setting up a dedicated fund as demanded, the Congress extended support, including assistance from Congress-ruled States such as Karnataka and Telangana.

Mr. Joseph alleged that CPI(M) cadres attempted to encroach on the land purchased by the Congress by erecting huts, and criticised the marches held to the offices of Ms. Gandhi and Mr. Siddique.

Raising concerns over the conduct of the Assembly elections in Kannur, Mr. Joseph urged immediate intervention by the Election Commission, alleging that the district administration and officials were acting in favour of the CPI(M). He pointed out that polling officials in the Peravur constituency had not received ballot papers even two days ahead of voting. 

He also flagged complaints regarding home voting, alleging that ballot boxes had wide openings, allowing the retrieval of votes. He accused the Kannur District Collector of responding dismissively when the issue was raised and alleged that the administration was facilitating electoral malpractice by appointing officials with left leanings instead of maintaining neutrality.

Published – April 04, 2026 08:42 pm IST