K. Radhakrishnan

K. Radhakrishnan was born on March 24, 1964, in Pullikkanam, Idukki district, Kerala, to the late M. C. Kochunny and Chinnamma. His father was a plantation worker, and Radhakrishnan’s early life was rooted in modest socio-economic circumstances. He completed his primary education at Thonnurkara AUP School and high school education from S.M.G.T. Higher Secondary School, Chelakkara, before pursuing college studies at Vyasa College and Sri Kerala Varma College.

Radhakrishnan entered public life through student activism and began his political journey with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI). He served as Unit Secretary at Kerala Varma College, later becoming SFI Chelakkara Area Secretary and a member of the Thrissur District Secretariat. These formative roles helped him build organisational discipline and ideological grounding within the Left movement.

He later became active in the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), serving as Chelakkara Block Committee Secretary and as a State Committee Member. Alongside party activities, he participated in social and educational movements such as the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad, the Library Association, and the Sampoorna Saksharatha Yajnam, reflecting his involvement in literacy and social awareness campaigns.

Radhakrishnan entered electoral politics in 1991 when he was elected to the Thrissur Municipal Council from the Vallathol Nagar Division. He first contested the Kerala Legislative Assembly elections from the Chelakkara constituency in 1996 and went on to win the seat four consecutive times until 2011, establishing a strong electoral base in the constituency. His 2011 victory was a record win, with a margin of approximately 39,400 votes.

In 1996, he was inducted into the E. K. Nayanar cabinet as Minister for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes Welfare, and Youth Affairs. He later served as Chief Whip of the Opposition in 2001 and was elected Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 2006, becoming one of the youngest to hold the post. These roles marked his rise as a key parliamentary and administrative figure in Kerala politics.

In 2011, he was inducted into the Kerala Council of Ministers and served as Minister for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development. During his tenure, he was associated with welfare-oriented initiatives aimed at social inclusion and community development.

In the second Pinarayi Vijayan government, Radhakrishnan serves as the Minister for Devaswom, Parliamentary Affairs, and Backward Classes Welfare. He is also a member of the CPI(M) Central Committee and the All India President of the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch. Apart from public life, he is known to be a farmer, maintaining close ties with agrarian life and rural issues.

As of 2026, K. Radhakrishnan serves as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, continuing his engagement with national-level legislative work while remaining closely associated with CPI(M)’s organisational and ideological activities.