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Kodiyeri Balakrishnan

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Comrade
Kodiyeri Balakrishnan
Minister of Home Affairs, Kerala
In office
18 May 2006 (2006-05-18) – 16 May 2011 (2011-05-16)
Preceded byOommen Chandy
Succeeded byOommen Chandy
Member of Legislative Assembly
In office
2001 (2001)–2016 (2016)
ConstituencyThalassery
In office
1982 (1982)–1991 (1991)
ConstituencyThalassery
Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Kerala State Committee
In office
23 February 2015 (2015-02-23) – 28 August 2022 (2022-08-28)
Preceded byPinarayi Vijayan
Succeeded byM. V. Govindan
Member of Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
In office
3 April 2008 (2008-04-03) – 1 October 2022 (2022-10-01)
Personal details
Born(1953-11-16)16 November 1953
Kodiyeri, Malabar District, Madras State
(now in Kannur, Kerala), India
Died1 October 2022(2022-10-01) (aged 68)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Political partyCommunist Party of India (Marxist)
Spouse
S. R. Vinodini
​
(m. 1980)​
Children2
Parents
  • Kunjunni Kurup
  • Narayani Amma
Alma mater

Kodiyeri Balakrishnan (16 November 1953 – 1 October 2022) was an Indian politician of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He was the secretary of the CPI(M) Kerala State Committee from 2015 to 2022.[1] He stepped down from the position of state secretary due to his failing health. He was the Chief Editor of the Malayalam newspaper Deshabhimani.[2]

Balakrishnan was the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2006 and again from 2011 to 2016, and also served as the State Minister of Home Affairs and Tourism from 2006 to 2011 under the Achuthananadan Ministry. He represented Thalassery State Assembly Constituency in the Kerala Legislative Assembly from 1982 to 1991 and again from 2001 to 2016.

Political life

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Balakrishnan entered politics through the student wing of the CPI(M) in 1970. He was Secretary of the Kerala State Committee of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and its All India Joint Secretary between 1973 and 1979. During the time of the emergency, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was imprisoned under MISA for 16 months.[3]

From 1980 to 1982, he was the Kannur District President of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). He was a CPI (M) Politburo member and was CPI (M) Parliamentary Party Deputy Leader. He was elected as an MLA to Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1982, 1987, 2001, 2006 and 2011 from Thalassery.[1] He was Minister of Home affairs of Kerala during the time of V S Achudanandan Ministry.[4][3] On 23 February 2015, he was elected as the Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Kerala State Committee for a period of 3 years.[5] He was re-elected for a second term as a State Secretary in 2018 and for a third term in March 2022.[6] On 28 August 2022, he stepped down from the position due to failing health and was succeeded by M. V. Govindan.[7]

Personal life and death

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Balakrishnan was born in Kodiyeri, Thalassery to Kunjunni Kurup and Narayani Amma on 16 November 1953. He was the youngest child and only son of his parents. He had four elder sisters, all much older than him. He studied in Kodiyeri Junior Basic School and Oniyan High School. He became active in politics while studying at Mahatma Gandhi Government Arts College, Mahé and was active in University College, Thiruvananthapuram.[3]

In 1980, he married S. R. Vinodini, daughter of ex-MLA M. V. Rajagopalan Master[3] and had two children, Binoy Kodiyeri[8] and Bineesh Kodiyeri.[9]

Balakrishnan was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and admitted in Apollo Hospital, Chennai from 28 August 2022 in view of worsening health.[10][11] He died on 1 October 2022, at the age of 68.[12] His dead body was taken to his hometown Kannur, and was cremated there with full state honours.

References

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  1. ^ a b Staff Reporter (26 February 2018). "Kodiyeri re-elected CPI(M) State secretary". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Kodiyeri Balakrishnan is Deshabhimani Chief Editor".
  3. ^ a b c d "KERALA LEGISLATURE - MEMBERS Shri. KODIYERI BALAKRISHNAN". Niyamasabha. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  4. ^ "Kodiyeri Balakrishnan Gets Second Term as Kerala CPI-M State Secretary". News18. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Kodiyeri Balakrishnan new CPI(M) state Secretary in Kerala". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Kodiyeri Balakrishnan Is No More". Deshabhimani. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Kodiyeri Balakrishnan steps down, MV Govindan Master is new CPM Kerala state secretary". The Indian Express. 28 August 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Kerala CPI-M secretary's son appears before police, agrees to DNA test". National Herald. 8 July 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  9. ^ Peter, Petlee (29 October 2020). "Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of Kerala CPI-M leader, held by ED in Bangalore". Times of India. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  10. ^ Philip, Shaju (1 October 2022). "Veteran CPM leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan passes away". The Indian Express. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Ailing Kerala politicians at their peak". Mathrubhumi. 3 September 2022.
  12. ^ "Veteran CPM leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, 68, passes away". OnManorama. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
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