V. S. Achuthanandan | |
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വേലിക്കകത്തു ശങ്കരൻ അച്യുതാനന്ദൻ | |
V.S. Achuthanandan speaking in an election campaign in 2016.
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Chairman of the Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission | |
Assumed office 3 August 2016 |
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Chief Minister of Kerala | |
In office 18 May 2006 – 18 May 2011 |
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Preceded by | Oommen Chandy |
Succeeded by | Oommen Chandy |
Constituency | Malampuzha |
Leader of the Opposition, Kerala Legislature | |
In office 18 May 2011 – 24 May 2016 |
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Preceded by | Oommen Chandy |
Succeeded by | Ramesh Chennithala |
Constituency | Malampuzha |
In office 17 May 2001 – 12 May 2006 |
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Preceded by | A. K. Antony |
Succeeded by | Ummen Chandy |
Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Kerala State Committee | |
In office 1980–1992 |
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Preceded by | E.K. Nayanar |
Succeeded by | E.K. Nayanar |
Member of the Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) | |
In office 1985–2009 |
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Personal details | |
Born |
Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan 20 October 1923 Alappuzha, Travancore , British India |
Political party | Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
Spouse(s) | K. Vasumathy (Married 16 July 1967) |
Children | Dr. V. A. Arunkumar Dr. V. V. Asha |
Residence | Punnapra North, Kerala; Thiruvananthapuram |
Website | www |
Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan (born 20 October 1923) is an Indian politician who was Chief Minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011. He was one of the founding leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and has played a major role in building the party cadre in the state of Kerala.
Achuthanandan was a member of the CPI(M) Politburo from 1985 until July 2009, when he was reverted to the Central Committee of the party owing to his ideological dispositions. He is a mass leader respected for integrity.
Achuthanandan initiated various actions as the Chief Minister, including: the demolition drive in Munnar which claimed back acres of illegally occupied land, the demolition drive in Kochi M. G. Road which claimed back the long lost shoulder of the road, anti-piracy drive against film-piracy, his struggle against the Lottery mafia in the state. He was instrumental in convicting former minister R. Balakrishna Pillai on charges of corruption. Achuthanandan also took the lead in promoting free software in the state, and especially in adopting free software in the public education system of the state.
After serving as Chief Minister, he was Leader of the Opposition in Kerala from 2011 to 2016. He has been Chairman of the Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission since 2016.
Born on 20 October 1923 to Sankaran and Accamma in Alappuzha district of Kerala state, he lost his mother when he was four years old and subsequently lost his father at age 11. This forced him to quit his studies after finishing 7th standard in school. He started working by helping his elder brother in a village tailoring shop. Later he took up the job of meshing coir to make ropes at a coir factory.