P. K. Vasudevan Nair

P.K. Vasudevan Nair
P.K. Vasudevan Nair
Chief Minister of Kerala
Preceded by	A. K. Antony
Succeeded by	C.H. Mohammed Koya
Personal details
Born	Padayatt Kesavapillai Vasudevan Nair (1926-03-02)2 March 1926 Kidangoor, Kottayam, Kerala
Died	12 July 2005(2005-07-12) (aged 79) AIIMS, New Delhi
Political party	Communist Party of India
Spouse(s)	K. P. Lakshmi Kutty Amma
Children	3 sons and 2 daughters

Padayatt Kesavapillai Vasudevan Nair (2 March 1926 – 12 July 2005), popularly known as PKV, was the 9th Chief Minister of Kerala and a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (CPI). He became Chief Minister on 20 October 1978, following A. K. Antony's resignation as Chief Minister to protest against the Indian National Congress choice of Indira Gandhi as a candidate in the Chikmagalur Lok Sabha byelection. He gave up the coveted post on 7 October 1979, to facilitate the coming together of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) and CPI and pave the way for the formation of the Left Democratic Front. He was the founder-president of the Travancore Students Union, All Kerala Students Federation and All India Youth Federation (AIYF). He remained with the CPI after the split in the Communist movement in 1964 and was elected the party's State secretary in 1982. He was elected to the Lok Sabha four times, in 1957, 1962, 1967 and 2004, and to the Kerala Legislative Assembly twice, in 1977 and 1980.

He was born in Kidangur village in Kottayam district of central Kerala. His father was Kesava Pillai and his mother was Nanikutty Amma. He was their eldest child. He began his political life as a student activist while studying in Union Christian College, Aluva, when the whole country was in upheaval having entered the final phase of freedom struggle. After graduating in Physics he went for study law at Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram. PKV had his baptism in politics during his students days as an activist of the All India Students Federation (AISF). The initial years were tumultuous as AISF, which was part of the then undivided Communist Party of India (CPI), was fighting against British imperialism.