Hyderabad: The election for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post, which is being held for the first time in decades, will be conducted at 11 am on Wednesday. The Opposition has picked Congress veteran and eight-term parliamentarian Kodikunnil Suresh for the post of Speaker. He will be up against BJP's three-time MP Om Birla.
K Suresh, senior-most member of the 18th Lok Sabha is also the longest-serving parliamentarian, currently representing Kerala's Mavelikara constituency. Let's have a look at his life, political career and controversies that surrounded him.
Life and education:
Suresh was born to a poor family in Kodikunnil of Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram district. He was the youngest son of Kunjan and Thankamma. He got married to Bindu Suresh in June 30, 1994 and is father of a son and daughter. He has an LLB degree.
Present posts:
Suresh, a strong Dalit face of Congress in Kerala, is currently an MP from Mavelikara seat, a member of the Congress Working Committee (Special Invitee) and was a leading contender for the Kerala Congress chief position in 2021. He serves as the chief whip of the Congress parliamentary party in the Lok Sabha and the working president of the party's Kerala branch.
K Suresh won Mavelikara by over 10,000 votes:
He had defeated CPI's Arun Kumar by 10,000 votes, which was the lowest victory margin in the state. All seven assembly seats under Mavelikkara Lok Sabha seat are held by the Left Democratic Front (LDF).
Political journey:
Suresh's political journey began way back in 1989 when he became an MP from Adoor seat. He won in 1991, 1996, and 1999 but was defeated in the general elections of 1998 and 2004. Notably, the Kerala high court disqualified his victory in the 2009 Lok Sabha election over allegations of his caste certificate being fake but the Supreme Court later reversed the verdict. He also served as Union Minister for State Labour and Employment in former PM Manmohan Singh's cabinet.
His political journey in a chronological order:
• 1989- Became Lok Sabha MP for the first time from Adoor constituency in Kerala
• 1989-91-Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Labour and Welfare
• 1991- Became Lok Sabha MP from Adoor
• 1996- Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Communications and re-elected to 11th Lok Sabha (3rd term)
• 1999- Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha (4th term)
• 2009- Re-elected to 15th Lok Sabha (5th term) and Secretary, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP)
• 28 Oct. 2012 - 2014- Union Minister of State, Labour and Employment
