2 December 2019: The State Council meeting of the Kerala Journalist Union (KJU) unanimously elected Basheer Madala as President of the union in the place VB Rajan, who has vacated the post as he was re-elected Secretary, Indian Journalists Union at its Amritsar plenary.

The State Council which met on 22-23 December was inaugurated by Y Narender Reddy, IJU Secretary. The meeting which was presided over by VB Rajan President of KJU discussed organisational matters and issues like attacks on journalists, accreditations and implementation of wage board recommendations. It decided to organise a big work shop in June at Thiruvananthapuram on 'Role of Social organisations in safeguarding Journalists and Freedom of Expression'. It has also decided to offer IJU leadership to hold NEC on that occasion.

Earlier in the day, a seminar was also organised on 'The role of society in protecting media persons and freedom of expression'. IJU Secretaries Y Narender Reddy, VB Rajan, senior journalist Padmanabhan, KJU General Secretary Santhosh Kumar, Basheer Madala spoke.