Published Apr 04, 2026 | 9:06 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 04, 2026 | 9:06 PM
KPCC president Sunny Joseph revealed the details of the funds following LDF criticism.
Synopsis: KPCC president Sunny Joseph said the party had mobilised ₹5.38 crore through a joint bank account he operated along with Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan. Of the total amount raised, ₹3.68 crore was spent on acquiring land. The Youth Congress, Joseph said, contributed ₹1.05 crore separately. The KPCC supplemented the land purchase with nearly ₹97.5 lakh from its funds.
Amid sustained criticism from the Left Democratic Front (LDF) over the handling of funds collected for rehabilitating the Wayanad landslide victims, the Congress on Saturday, 4 April, disclosed key financial details, seeking to counter charges of opacity.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph said the party had mobilised a total of ₹5.38 crore through a joint bank account operated along with Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan.
He clarified that ₹3.68 crore from this amount was used to acquire land in the first phase, covering over five acres.
An additional ₹2.5 crore was spent to purchase around 2.18 acres in a second phase.
Joseph added that the Youth Congress contributed ₹1.05 crore separately, outside the joint account, while the KPCC supplemented the land purchase with nearly ₹97.5 lakh from its own funds.
He noted that around ₹74 lakh more would be required to complete registration formalities.
Importantly, he stressed that the party would not launch further public fundraising for house construction, instead relying on internal KPCC and AICC resources.
The Congress had earlier promised to construct 100 houses for families displaced by the Mundakkai-Chooralmala disaster.
Entire villages were wiped out and more than 230 people killed when a series of devastating landslides hit the Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas of Wayanad in the early hours of 30 July 2024.
The project was formally launched when Rahul Gandhi laid the foundation stone at Kunnampatta, with Priyanka Gandhi also outlining land acquisition plans. Reports said Congress had promised 100 houses for the survivors, each measuring about 1,100 square feet on eight cents.
Meanwhile, Satheesan maintained that a full audit would be presented once the project is completed, dismissing demands for immediate disclosure.
He accused the CPI(M) of attempting to politicise the issue and deflected criticism by alleging similar financial irregularities within the ruling party.
The controversy has been amplified by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who has repeatedly questioned the transparency of the Congress fund, turning the issue into a key political flashpoint ahead of elections.
