After controversies and uncertainties, senior Congress leader K Sudhakaran returned as the president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Wednesday.

Sudhakaran took over the charge of the Congress Kerala chief on Wednesday at the party’s state headquarters, Indira Bhavan, in Thiruvananthapuram amidst much fanfare. His admirers and party workers accorded him a warm welcome at the party headquarters here by draping shawls and raising slogans.

However, Sudhakaran’s assumption of office exposed the ongoing rift within the party’s state unit. MM Hassan, who was made the acting president while Sudhakaran entered the fray in Kannur during the Lok Sabha elections was conspicuous by his absence at Indira Bhavan. He expressed his displeasure regarding Hassan’s absence during the event marking his takeover.

“MM Hassan should have been here. Such courtesy is the choice of the individual and beyond the party’s diktat,” Sudhakaran told media persons.

When media persons asked why the leader of the Opposition, VD Satheesan, had stayed away from his resumption of office, Sudhakaran said: “He is a multifaceted and busy person. I would have liked the presence of the entire top leadership. But I did not invite or notify anyone personally.”

Before assuming office, Sudhakaran visited senior Congress leader A K Antony at his residence here. Sudhakaran was supposed to return to the post on Sunday, but it got delayed by a few days due to reported opposition from a section within the party.

Sudhakaran did not publicly express his displeasure with the party high command’s decision but his camp felt that he had been humiliated.

He said the KPCC would review some of the decisions taken during MM Hassan’s stint, including the reinstatement of MA Latheef, a Congress leader disciplined by the party on the charge of attempting to derail the election campaign of Congress candidate from Attingal, Adoor Prakash.

Sudhakaran evaded a question regarding why the decision to set aside organisational responsibilities while campaigning as a candidate applied solely to him and not to AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, who contested the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency.

Sudhakaran’s return to the position of the KPCC chief was delayed for some time. There was a campaign going on in his favour and against him. Earlier, there were speculations that the national leadership is looking for a fresh face in the state to hold the position of the party’s Kerala chief. There were also reports that ‘A’ group leaders in the state are trying to use the delay in the decision as an opportunity to change Sudhakaran from the position. Earlier, Sudhakaran had expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in returning the post of KPCC president to him.

It is learnt that the intervention of some senior Congress leaders and pressure from K Sudhakaran himself forced the Congress national leadership to bring him back to the helm of the party. A section of senior Congress leaders, who backed Sudhakaran, conveyed the national leadership that if there is further dilly-dallying on Sudhakaran’s return as the party chief, it would send a wrong message.