Kannoth Karunakaran (5 July 191823 December 2010) was an Indian politician, political strategist, decision maker and statesman who served as the chief minister of Kerala in 1977, from 1981 to March 1982, from May 1982 to 1987 and from 1991 to 1995. He is the founder of the Indian National Congress (INC)-led United Democratic Front (UDF) coalition, which governed the state in the periods of 1982-87, 1991–96, 2001–06 and 2011–16; and currently is the ruling alliance in Kerala . He has also served as the Union Minister for Industry from 1995 to 1996 and served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly for four terms- 1967 to 1969, 1978 to 1979, 1980 to 1981 and 1987 to 1991. He also has the distinction of being one of the longest serving Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Leaders in the country, holding that post from 1967 to 1995.
Karunakaran was close to former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. At the peak of his career in the 1980s and 1990s, he enjoyed considerable access, confidence and control at the All India Congress Committee (AICC), such that he had an important role in helping P. V. Narasimha Rao become Prime Minister of India. He played a crucial role in nurturing and strengthening the INC into a strong political party in Kerala and enjoyed mass support of not just party workers but the entire anti-communist bloc that was active in Kerala. He is greatly known for his decision making and strategies and was widely seen as a kingmaker or as a chanakyan in the history of Indian politics. He is also credited with bringing development to multiple sectors in Kerala by spearheading key projects, including Kochi Airport, the country's first public-private international airport, the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, and Kochi's Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium.
Personal life Karunakaran was born on 5 July 1918 in Chirakkal near Kannur to a Nair Marar family to Thekkedathu Ravunni Marar and Kannoth Kalyani Amma . He had two elder brothers, Kannoth Kunjirama Marar and Kannoth Balakrishna Marar; a younger brother, Kannoth Damodara "Appunni" Marar; and a sister, Devaki, who died when Karunakaran was five years old. His father was a record keeper in the erstwhile Malabar District.
During his childhood, Karunakaran was an expert in swimming, painting, football and volleyball. Though he was named Karunakara Marar, he later dropped his caste title, and came to be known just by his given name.
Karunakaran began his education at Vadakara Government Lower Primary School in 1923. Later, he studied in Andallur Government School and Raja's High School near his home in Chirakkal. After graduating high school, he went to Thrissur and enrolled at the fine arts college, where he obtained degrees in painting and mathematics. For treating an eye disorder, he went to his maternal uncle's home in Vellanikkara near Thrissur, along with his eldest brother Kunjirama Marar. Later, he married his uncle's daughter Kalyanikkutty Amma in 1954 at Guruvayoor Temple, when he was 36 and she was 30. Their children are Congress politician K. Muraleedharan and BJP politician Padmaja Venugopal.
In the early hours of 3 June 1992, during his last term as Chief Minister, he had a near-fatal car accident on his way back to Thiruvananthapuram, after completing his campaigns for the by-elections to be held in the then-Njarakkal Assembly Constituency in Ernakulam district. He recovered after prolonged treatment in both India and the US. In the next year, his wife died following a heart ailment, a loss which deeply affected Karunakaran for the rest of his life.
Political career
In 1937, Karunakaran joined the flood relief camps that were conducted by V. R. Krishnan Ezhuthachan, C. Achutha Menon, R.M.Manakkalath and other leaders of Prajamandalam, an early freedom movement in Kochi. He became a member of the INC and began to wear khadi. He also participated intensively in trade union activities in the vast Thattil rubber estates where his uncle Raghavan Nair was a writer. During this time he used his artistic skills and labour to help the workers' union, which would become the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), with their posters and campaigns. Gradually, he was picked up by Panampilly Govinda Menon as his favourite follower. Eventually, Karunakaran rose to the level of senior leader of the INTUC, which became one of the largest trade unions in India with over 33 million members. He went on to become INC's Thrissur District Committee President, after which he was elected to the Cochin Legislative Assembly twice before the formation of Kerala State. He contested the 1957 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections against trade unionist and ex-INC member Dr. A. R. Menon, going onto to lose by around two thousand votes.
The VIP pavilion in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kaloor, Kochi is named in his honour.
In 1967, when Karunakaran was elected to the State Legislature for the first time, the Congress was at its lowest ebb in the state having been routed in the election with just 9 legislators on its side (less than the 10 percent strength which is now mandatory to be recognized as the official opposition party). The defeat of many veteran leaders paved the way for Karunakaran to take up the mantle of the Leader of the Opposition. Karunakaran quickly adapted to the role with his dexterous and Machiavellian capabilities putting the EMS Namboodiripad ministry on its toes despite the massive majority it enjoyed in the assembly.
In 1969, Karunakaran faced a severe setback when the Congress legislature party vertically split, leaving Karunakaran with the support of just 5 MLAs. However, Karunakaran, always a master strategist bided his time and played a crucial role in the overthrow of the Namboodiripad ministry and the subsequent formation of a coalition with the new Chief Minister, C. Achutha Menon. By the mid-term elections, the Congress had recovered significantly under Karunakaran and emerged as the largest party post the elections. Although Karunakaran could have technically staked a claim for Chief Ministership in 1970, he chose not to do so, being aware of Achutha Menon's administrative capabilities and visionary ideas for the state. Instead, he went to become the Home Minister in the cabinet, by virtue of which he was the de facto deputy in the cabinet.
In 1977, following the National Emergency, when the Congress was swept out of power across the nation, Karunakaran led the Congress-coalition government to a landslide victory securing 111 seats in the 1977 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections. However, he had to resign after one month following the controversies that emerged about the Rajan case paving the way for his rival AK Antony to become Chief Minister. Regardless, he emerged as a strong supporter of Indira Gandhi after the emergency.
Political instability continued with Antony, P.K. Vasudevan Nair and C.H. Mohammad Koya all serving as Chief Ministers in the 5th legislative assembly from 1977 to 1979, eventually calling for the need for a fresh mandate from the public. With the CPI, RSP, the Antony-faction and K.M. Mani joining hands with the CPI(M) to form the Left Democratic Front in 1979-80, the residual Congress under Karunakaran was doomed. The newly formed United Democratic Front consisting of the Congress, Muslim League and the Kerala Congress faction led by P.J. Joseph suffered a crushing defeat in the 1980 assembly elections winning a mere 46 seats. Nevertheless, Karunakaran went on to become the Leader of the Opposition.
As in 1969, Karunakaran deftly took advantage of the discord prevailing between the CPI(M) and the Antony-faction, eventually leading to the collapse of the E.K. Nayanar government in October 1981. Subsequently, Karunakaran went onto form his second administration in December 1981, after a brief spell of President's rule. However, he faced a dilemma as both the treasury and opposition benches were tied, thus requiring the Speaker, A.C. Jose to cast his vote to save the government. This went to become a farcical experiment with the speaker casting his vote on occasion eight times to save the government. Eventually, in March 1982, a legislator defected from the treasury benches and the government lost the no-confidence motion.
In the early elections held in May 1982, the UDF under Karunakaran won a narrow but decisive victory securing 77 seats to the LDF's 63. Karunakaran himself contested from two seats, winning from both- his traditional Mala seat as well as Nemom. Karunakaran was sworn in as Chief Minister for the third time and went on to become just the second Chief Minister to serve a full 5-year term in office. Karunakaran was also successful in ensuring the return of 'rebel' leaders such as A. K. Antony, Oommen Chandy and Vayalar Ravi to the Congress.
In March 1987, the Karunakaran administration which had been tainted due to corruption charges, rising communalization and infighting, was brought down from power, with the LDF winning 78 seats, leaving just 61 seats for the UDF. The next four years in opposition saw a virtual tug of war between Karunakaran and Antony serving as the new Leader of the Opposition and State Congress President respectively. The Congress and the UDF were in virtual disarray, ceding wide political ground to the Marxists under Chief Minister Nayanar. Following the rout suffered by the UDF in the panchayat elections in 1990-91, Nayanar took the gamble of holding an early assembly election in May 1991 along with the already scheduled parliamentary election. The tragic assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, two days before polling was scheduled to take place completely changed the tide in Kerala. The UDF on the back of a sympathy-wave rode to power, sweeping 90 seats. The Congress itself won 57 seats, its highest tally since 1960. Karunakaran was propelled back to the post of Chief Minister for the fourth and what would be the final time.