R. Balakrishna Pillai | |
---|---|
Personal details | |
Born |
Valakom |
8 March 1935
Political party |
Kerala Congress (B) (1977–85,1991–) |
Spouse(s) | Valsala |
Children | Usha, Bindu, K. B. Ganesh Kumar |
Occupation | Politician |
Website | http://rbalakrishnapillai.com/ |
Kerala Congress (B) (1977–85,1991–)
Indian National Congress (1950s–1964)
Keezhoote Raman Pillai Balakrishna Pillai is a veteran Indian politician, a former minister of the state of Kerala in India, who has held major portfolios like Transport and Electricity. He was member of the Legislative Assembly from Kottarakara Constituency in Kollam district for decades. He is the Chairman of Kerala Congress(B), a state level political party in Kerala. Throughout his entire career as a politician, Mr Pillai remained a highly controversial figure in Kerala state politics.Gandeevam, a biography of R. Balakrishna Pillai written by Vrindavanam Venugopalan with a foreword by Dr. Sooranad Kunjan Pillai, was published by Viswakeralam Daily. Pillai's autobiography was published by DC Books in 2011.
Balakrishna Pillai was born in 1935 in Valakom near Kottarakkara in Kollam district, as the son of Keezhoote Raman Pillai and Karthyayani Amma. His father was a wealthy Nair landlord with plenty of land in the present-day Kerala and Tamil Nadu states. He is married to Valsala and has three children - two daughters named Usha & Bindu, and a son named K. B. Ganesh Kumar, who is a well-known film actor and politician, and served as state Minister during 2001-03 and 2011-13 periods. He has been selected as Chairman of Forward Communities Welfare Corporation in May 2017.
R. Balakrishna Pillai was member of Thiruvathankur Student's Union (which later become Tirukochi Vidyarthi Federation).
Balakrishna Pillai later joined Indian National Congress.In 1960 he became a KPCC executive member and AICC member. He was elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1960 from the Pathanapuram Assembly Constituency of Kollam district, as a candidate of the Indian National Congress, at the age of 25 and holds the record for becoming the youngest MLA of Kerala.