ACHUTHANANDAN V S

Born on October 20, 1923, in Punnapra, Alappuzha district, to Velikkakathu Sankaran and Akkamma. He had to drop out of school in the seventh standard due to poverty. He entered politics in 1939 by taking membership in the State Congress. In 1940, he became a member of the Communist Party. In 1942, he became the secretary of the local unit. In 1943, as per the instructions of Krishna Pillai, he went to Kuttanad to build the party and the trade union movement. There he formed the agricultural laborers’ union. He served as the Alappuzha District Secretary of the Communist Party, a member of the Kerala State Committee, a member of the State Secretariat from 1957, and a member of the National Council from ’58. He has been a member of the Central Committee since the formation of the CPI(M) and a member of the Politburo since 1985. He served as the state secretary of the CPI(M) for twelve years from 1980 to 1992. He was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in the years 1967, ’70, ’91, 2002, and 2006. He was the Leader of the Opposition from 1992-’96 and 2001-’06. He became the Chief Minister of Kerala on May 18, 2006. He served for a long time as the Chief Editor of Deshabhimani daily and Chintha weekly. He passed away on July 21, 2025.