V. S. Achuthanandan

V. S. Achuthanandan (born 20 October 1923, died 21 July 2025) was an Indian politician from Kerala and a veteran leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He became one of the founding members of the CPI(M) through his 1964 split activities, and he held the office of Chief Minister in Kerala from 2006 until 2011 while serving as Leader of the Opposition during multiple terms.

Throughout his life, he fought for social justice and workers' rights, which established him as a key figure in Kerala's political affairs.

The government awarded him the Padma Vibhushan in 2026.

By Rashmi | Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 11:13:38 AM [IST]

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V. S. Achuthanandan Biography
V. S. Achuthanandan Personal Life
Political Timeline of V. S. Achuthanandan
V. S. Achuthanandan Achievements
Interesting Facts about V. S. Achuthanandan
V. S. Achuthanandan Net Worth

V. S. Achuthanandan Biography

Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan was born on October 20, 1923, in Punnapra, Alappuzha district, Kerala, into a working-class family. He began working early in life, including at a coir factory, and dedicated his youth to working for trade unions through his membership in the Communist movement, which he joined during the 1940s.

The 1964 split from the Communist Party of India resulted in 32 leaders, including him, establishing the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which created a crucial turning point for Left political movements in India. He advanced through party positions until he reached the role of State Secretary for CPI(M) in Kerala and later became a member of the Politburo.

Through his seven elections to the Kerala Legislative Assembly, Achuthanandan established himself as an important figure who spent three terms as Leader of the Opposition to fight against corruption while supporting social justice. He dedicated himself to fighting for workers’ rights while he fought for land reforms and opposed corruption.

At 82 years old, he became Chief Minister of Kerala in 2006 to lead a Left Democratic Front government until 2011. His term included major investigations of unlawful land encroachments, together with his attempts to boost accountability, although he experienced frequent disputes with party officials about policy matters.

Achuthanandan maintained his status as a respected elder statesman throughout his life until health problems forced him to withdraw from public activities after 2019. He passed away on 21 July 2025 at the age of 101. The Indian government selected him for the Padma Vibhushan award, which he received in January 2026, because of his work in Indian politics and public service.

V. S. Achuthanandan Personal Life

Full Name	V. S. Achuthanandan
Date of Birth	20 Oct 1923 (Age 102)
Place of Birth	Alappuzha
Party Name	Communist Party Of India (marxist)
Education	5th Pass
Profession	Social Works
Father's Name	Sankaran
Mother's Name	Accamma
Spouse's Name	K. Vasumathy
Spouse's Profession	Pensioner(Retired From State Service)
Children	1 Son(s) 1 Daughter(s)

V. S. Achuthanandan Net Worth

Net Worth

₹62.39 LAKHS

ASSETS

₹62.39 LAKHS

Liabilities

N/A

Interesting Facts about V. S. Achuthanandan

He lost both his parents at a very young age and was forced to leave his studies when he was only 11. He had to support himself and started working at a tailoring shop with his brother and later joined a coir factory as a worker.
Initiated action against encroachment on government land in the hill resort and tea plantation town of Munnar. In December 2007, he became the first Communist CM to trek to the 400-year-old hill temple of Sabarimala. The 84-year-old Achuthanandan rejected any of the physical or medical support which worried his doctors. V S Achuthanandan supports free and open source software movement in the state and Richard Stallman has also supported his activities regarding this. During his 40 years as a politician, he was imprisoned for five years and six months and was in hiding for four and half years.

Political Timeline of V. S. Achuthanandan

2026: Posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan.
2025: Passed away at age 101 after decades in public life.
2016: He defeated C.Krishnakumar of BJP and again won from Malampuzha. He staked his claim to be the next Chief Minister but State and Central leadership appointed Pinarayi Vijayan as Chief Minister instead. Finally, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission.
2013: Achutanandan's close staff VK Sasidharan (additional private secretary), A Suresh (personal assistant) and K Balakrishnan (press secretary) were ousted by the Politburo. This had became a major political issue.
2011: He again won assembly election in 2011 from Malampuzha. He was Leader of the Opposition in Kerala from 2011 to 2016.
2006: The 2006 Assembly election proved to be a turning point for him when he defeated Satheesan Pacheeni (on Malampuzha seat) from the United Democratic Front by a margin of 20,017 votes. He was pronounced the Chief Minister of Kerala from 18 May 2006 � 14 May 2011.
2001: He contested from Malampuzha seta and won the assembly election. He defeated INC cndidate Satheesan Pacheni.
1996: He lost the 1996 assembly election from Mararikulam. INC candidate P.J.Francis defeated him.
1991: VS again back to the assembly by winning Mararikulam seat. He defeated D. Sugathan of INC.
1985: He became a member of the CPI(M) Polit Bureau. But later he was removed from this post in 2009 due to anti-disciplinary activities.
1980: He was the secretary of the Kerala State Committee of CPI(M).
1977: Achuthanandan lost his Ambalapuzha seat to K.K. Kumara Pillai of RSP. This was a big set back for CPM.
1970: He was re-elected to Kerala Assembly from the same seat. this time he defeated K. K. Kumara Pillai of RSP.
1967: Achuthanandan was elected as a member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly from Ambalapuzha seat. He defeated A . Achyuthan of INC.
1957: He was appointed as Kerala state secretariat member of the CPI.
1940: He became an active member of the Communist Party of India (CPI).
1938: Achuthanandan entered politics through trade union activities and joined State Congress.

V. S. Achuthanandan Achievements

Because of his efforts, Kerala registered Major IT export growth during his tenure surpassing the national average. His other contributions are the major renovation of Malampuzha Tourist destination, AshtaMudi tourism circuit in Kollam and closing down of illegal lottery mafia from the state. IT park In Kollam- Kollam Technopark.

The IT park is initiated, planned and constructed during while VS was also the IT minister of the state. He initiated major renovation programmes of famous tourist attractions such as AshtaMudi circuit in Kollam and Malampuzha.

As the Chief Minister of Kerala, he initiated various steps, such as the action against encroachment on government land in the hilly and tea plantation town of Munnar. The land was allegedly grabbed by resort owners and MNCs such as Tata Tea limited.

His other initiatives included the demolition drive in Kochi M.G. Road, anti-piracy drive against film-piracy, and his long struggle against the lottery mafia in the state. He also raised his voice against corruption by former minister R. Balakrishna Pillai and was instrumental in bringing about conviction. He was conferred with Pravasi Express Awards Lifetime Achievement Award 2013.

Disclaimer:The information provided on this page is sourced from various publicly available platforms including https://en.wikipedia.org/, https://sansad.in/ls, https://sansad.in/rs, https://pib.gov.in/, https://affidavit.eci.gov.in/ and the official websites of state assemblies respectively. While we make every effort to maintain the accuracy, comprehensiveness and timeliness of the information provided, we cannot guarantee the absolute accuracy or reliability of the content. The data presented here has been compiled without consideration of the objectives or opinions of individuals who may access it.