Some Congress leaders, including Karunakaran's son and party MLA K Muraleedharan, have voiced dissatisfaction at the statue installed in the Kanakakunnu palace grounds in the heart of the state capital.
They argued that it had failed to depict the true facial expressions of the late leader, including his trademark smile.
They also pointed out that as a result of the flaws in the work, the structure failed to bring to the beholder the essence of the personality of the Congress leader, who had left a deep impression as a central player in Kerala politics and had four stints as the Chief Minister.
He said he has sought the permission of the government to rework the face of the statue to make it look like the image of Karunakaran during the 1980s.
"The enduring image of the late leader in the minds of Keralites is when he was at the height of his career in the 1980s. Now I am planning to re-do the face of the work to correct whatever flaws are there," Sidhan told PTI.