Idukki retired from the ministry

KPCC general secretary Ibrahimkutty Kallar said that the district leadership of the party will closely monitor the issues faced by Idukki district | Photo credit: MUSTAFAH KK

After three-and-a-half decades, the hilly district of Idukki witnessed a clean sweep of the United Democratic Front (UDF) across all the five assembly constituencies. However, the district was left out of the ministerial representation. According to Congress leaders, the last time the UDF won all the five seats in Idukki was during the 1991 assembly elections and the district had high hopes of a ministerial post for one of the five newly elected MLAs this time.

A senior Congress official admitted that the UDF leadership was actively considering Idukki MLA Roy K. Paulos for a cabinet berth. “But to ensure communal balance in the ministry, his name has been ruled out. If Kerala Congress (Joseph) president PJ Joseph contests the election, he would certainly be a minister from the district,” the leader said.

The UDF’s clean sweep in the district saw five of its members elected to the new assembly. Kerala Congress (Joseph faction) leader Apu John Joseph was elected from Thodupuzha constituency while Congress members F. Raja (Devikulam), Senapathi Venu (Udumbanchola), Roy K. Paulose (Idukki) and Cyriac Thomas (Peerumade) secured the remaining seats. “In the last 20 years, the Congress has had no MLA in Idukki district. In 2026, the party secured four MLAs here and expected a ministerial post, but it did not happen,” the leader added.

The district has been demanding government intervention on several pressing issues, including construction bans, ownership disputes, the Cardamom Hill Reserve (CHR) issue and resumption of work on the 14.5-km Neriamangalam-Valara stretch of the Kochi-Dhanushkodi State Highway. “If a minister from the district was appointed, we could have approached the government directly to find a solution to these problems,” the source said.

Meanwhile, KPCC general secretary Ibrahimkutty Kallar said that the district leadership of the party will closely monitor these regional complaints. “We will raise these issues and there is no need for public concern,” Mr Kallar said. During the last decade, the district enjoyed ministerial representation under the previous two Left Democratic Front (LDF) governments. CPI(M) veteran and former Udumbanchola MLA MM Mani served as power minister in the first LDF government, while Kerala Congress (M) leader and former Idukki MLA Roshy Augustine held the water resources portfolio in the subsequent LDF cabinet.

Published – 18 May 2026 18:44 IST