K. Karunakaran facts for kids

Quick facts for kids K. Karunakaran
Union Minister for Industry
In office 11 June 1995 – 16 May 1996
Prime Minister	P. V. Narasimha Rao
Preceded by	Ajit Singh
Succeeded by	Suresh Prabhu
5th Chief Minister of Kerala
In office 24 June 1991 – 16 March 1995
Preceded by	E. K. Nayanar
Succeeded by	A. K. Antony
In office 24 May 1982 – 25 March 1987
Preceded by	President's rule
Succeeded by	E. K. Nayanar
In office 28 December 1981 – 17 March 1982
Preceded by	President's rule
Succeeded by	President's rule
In office 25 March 1977 – 25 April 1977
Preceded by	C. Achutha Menon
Succeeded by	A. K. Antony
Minister of Home Affairs, Government of Kerala
In office 25 September 1971 – 25 March 1977
Chief Minister	C. Achutha Menon
Preceded by	C. Achutha Menon
Succeeded by	K. M. Mani
Leader of Opposition in Kerala Legislative Assembly
In office 26 March 1987 – 17 June 1991
In office 25 January 1980 – 20 October 1981
In office 29 October 1978 – 7 October 1979
In office 6 March 1967 – 1 November 1969
Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly
In office 1967 (1967)–1996 (1996)
Constituency	Mala (7 Terms)
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 1998 (1998)–1999 (1999)
Constituency	Thiruvananthapuram
In office 1999 (1999)–2004 (2004)
Constituency	Mukundapuram
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office 1995 (1995)–1997 (1997)
In office 1997 (1997)–1998 (1998)
In office 2004 (2004)–2005 (2005)
Member of the Travancore–Cochin Legislative Assembly
In office 1 July 1949 – 23 March 1956
Personal details
Born	Kannoth Karunakara Marar (1918-07-05)5 July 1918 Chirakkal, Madras Presidency, British India (present day Kannur, Kerala, India)
Died	23 December 2010(2010-12-23) (aged 92) Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Political party	Indian National Congress
Other political affiliations	Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran)
Spouse	Kalyanikutty Amma ​ ​ (m. 1954; died 1993)​
Children	K. Muraleedharan Padmaja Venugopal
Parents	Thekkedathu Ravunni Marar Kannoth Kalyani Amma
Residences	Kannur, Thrissur, Kerala
As of 2 November, 2007 Source: Government of Kerala

Kannoth Karunakaran (born July 5, 1918 – died December 23, 2010) was an important Indian politician. He served four times as the Chief Minister of Kerala, a state in India. He was also a Union Minister for Industry for a year.

Karunakaran was the founder of the Indian National Congress (INC)-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala. This group has governed the state many times. He was also the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly for four terms. He was known for being a very long-serving leader of the Congress party in the state.

He was close to former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Karunakaran played a big part in making the INC strong in Kerala. He also helped bring many important projects to Kerala. These include Kochi Airport, the country’s first international airport built with private and public money. Other projects were the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology and Kochi's Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium.

About K. Karunakaran

Early Life and Family

Karunakaran was born on July 5, 1918, in Chirakkal near Kannur in Kerala. His parents were Thekkedathu Ravunni Marar and Kannoth Kalyani Amma. He had several brothers and a sister. His father worked as a record keeper.

As a child, Karunakaran was good at sports like swimming, football, and volleyball. He also enjoyed painting. He later dropped his family name and was known simply as Karunakaran.

Education and Marriage

Karunakaran started school in 1923. He studied in different schools in Chirakkal. After high school, he went to Thrissur to study painting and mathematics.

In 1954, he married Kalyanikkutty Amma at Guruvayoor Temple. He was 36 and she was 30. They had two children: K. Muraleedharan, who also became a politician, and Padmaja Venugopal. His wife passed away in 1993.

Political Journey

Karunakaran in 1977

Joining Politics

In 1937, Karunakaran joined flood relief efforts led by freedom fighters. He became a member of the Indian National Congress (INC) and started wearing khadi, a traditional Indian cloth. He also became active in trade unions, helping workers with posters and campaigns.

He quickly became a senior leader in the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), a large workers' union. He then became the INC's Thrissur District Committee President. Before Kerala became a state, he was elected to the Cochin Legislative Assembly twice.

Becoming a Legislator

In 1965, Karunakaran was given a chance to run for election in the Mala area of Thrissur. This area was usually won by the Communist party. However, 47-year-old Karunakaran surprised everyone by winning the election. He continued to represent Mala in seven more elections until 1991.

In 1967, when he was first elected to the State Legislature, the Congress party was not very strong in Kerala. Karunakaran became the Leader of the Opposition, even with few party members. He was very skilled and challenged the government effectively.

Minister and Chief Minister

In 1971, Karunakaran became the Home Minister in the state government. He was like the deputy leader in the cabinet.

In 1977, after a period called the National Emergency, Karunakaran led his Congress-led group to a big victory in the state elections. He became the Chief Minister of Kerala. However, he had to resign after just one month due to some issues. Despite this, he strongly supported Indira Gandhi.

Political changes continued in Kerala. In 1981, Karunakaran formed his second government. This government faced challenges, often needing the Speaker of the Assembly to cast a special vote to stay in power. It lasted only a few months.

In May 1982, Karunakaran's UDF won another election, though by a small margin. He became Chief Minister for the third time. He was one of the few Chief Ministers to complete a full five-year term in office. He also helped bring back important leaders like A. K. Antony and Oommen Chandy to the Congress party.

Later Political Career

In 1987, Karunakaran's government faced challenges, and the opposition party won the election. He then served as the Leader of the Opposition again.

In 1991, following the sad assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the UDF won a large number of seats in Kerala. Karunakaran became Chief Minister for the fourth and final time.

In June 1992, he had a serious car accident. After treatment, he recovered and became active in government again. However, there were some disagreements within his party. In March 1995, Karunakaran had to step down as Chief Minister. He also left his long-held position as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party.

After this, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha (one of India's Parliament houses). He also served as the Union Minister for Industries from 1995 to 1996. He later won elections to the Lok Sabha (the other Parliament house) in 1998 and 1999.

In 2005, due to ongoing disagreements, Karunakaran left the Congress party and formed his own party, the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) (DIC(K)). However, he later rejoined the Indian National Congress in 2007.

Passing Away

K. Karunakaran passed away on December 23, 2010, at the age of 92. He had been in the hospital since October 2010 due to breathing problems and other age-related illnesses. His condition worsened, and he died after a cardiac arrest.

His funeral was attended by important leaders, including the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi. He was cremated with full state honors in Thrissur.

Electoral history

See also

• Chief Ministers of Kerala
• Kerala Ministers
• Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran)
• Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee