K. N. Balagopal

K. N. Balagopal is an Indian politician from Kerala and a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). He represents the Kottarakkara constituency in the Kerala Legislative Assembly and currently serves as the Finance Minister in the Government of Kerala under the Left Democratic Front (LDF).

With a long-standing career in student and party politics, Balagopal has played a key role in Kerala’s legislative and administrative affairs, particularly in financial governance and fiscal policy. He has also been active in party organization at the state level.

As of 2026, he continues to serve as Finance Minister and MLA from Kottarakkara.

By Rashmi | Friday, February 13, 2026, 05:16:37 PM [IST]

K. N. Balagopal Biography

KN Balagopal, the finance minister in the second Pinarayi government, is the leader who won the award for best parliamentarian. KN Balagopal won from Kottakkara constituency with a majority of 10814 votes in his first contest in the Assembly. He is a member of the CPM State Secretariat and the State Secretary of the Farmers' Union.

He was educated at Sreenarayana College, Punalur, MG College, Thiruvananthapuram, Law Academy and the University of Kerala. He is a graduate of M.Com and LLM.

He has been the Chairman of Punalur SN College Union. and also served the posts like SFI Punalur Area President, Thiruvananthapuram MG College Union Chairman, SFI Kollam District President, District Secretary, State President, State Secretary, All India President and DYFI All India President.

Balagopal quit his job at a public sector bank and became a full-time public servant. In 1996, he contested the Assembly elections against Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan in Adoor but lost. Balagopal was elected to the Rajya Sabha when he was the political secretary to then Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan.

KN Balagopal was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2010 to 2016. He was the Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader of the CPM..He contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Kollam but lost to RSP leader NK Ramachandran.

Son of P. K. Narayana Panicker and Smt Radhamony Amma, Balagopal was born at Kalanjoor, Pathanamthitta on 28 July 1963.Wife: Asha Prabhakaran (college teacher). Children: Kalyani and Sreehari.

In 2021, he was appointed as the Finance Minister in the second Pinarayi Vijayan ministry. In this role, he oversees state budget planning, revenue administration, and financial policy implementation, playing a pivotal role in Kerala’s economic governance.

As of 2026, K. N. Balagopal continues to serve as Finance Minister and as the MLA representing Kottarakkara constituency, remaining a key figure in Kerala’s governance and CPI(M) leadership.

K. N. Balagopal Personal Life

Full Name	K. N. Balagopal
Date of Birth	28 Jul 1963 (Age 62)
Place of Birth	Kalanjoor, Pathanamthitta
Party Name	Communist Party Of India (marxist)
Education	Post Graduate
Profession	Politician
Father's Name	PK Narayana Panicker
Mother's Name	OV Radhamani
Spouse's Name	Asha Prabhakaran
Spouse's Profession	Teacher
Children	1 Son(s) 1 Daughter(s)

K. N. Balagopal Net Worth

Net Worth

₹66.64 LAKHS

ASSETS

₹94.64 LAKHS

Liabilities

₹28 LAKHS

Interesting Facts about K. N. Balagopal

In 2016, he was awarded the Sansad Ratna for the best Rajya Sabha member in India. He contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Kollam but lost to RSP leader NK Ramachandran.

Balagopal was a leader who made many decisive interventions in his political career.The march against the UDF government's education drive across Kerala led by Balagopal when he was the SFI state secretary, was a big talk during those days. Even in rajya sabha period he made his voice louder against central govt policies. When the Goods and Services Tax Bill was introduced in Parliament, the arguments raised by Balagopal against it were widely noted.

Political Timeline of K. N. Balagopal

2022-2026: Continues as Finance Minister and MLA from Kottarakkara.
2021: Elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly from Kottarakkara constituency by a margin of 10814 votes and appointed the Minister of Finance in Pinarayi led LDF government in the state.
2019: Contested in Lok Sabha elections from Kollam, he lost by over 1.4 lakh votes to RSP’s NK Premachandran.
2017: Awarded the Sansad Ratna award for best parliamentarian
2010: He was elected to Rajya sabha in April 2010 and was a Member of Parliament from April 2010-April 2016.
2006: Appointed the political secretary to then-chief minister VS Achuthanandan
1996: Balagopal tasted defeat in his debut election in 1996 in Adoor constituency against senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan

K. N. Balagopal Early Life

1993: LLM from Law Academy Law College, Thiruvananthapuram.
1985: KN Balagopal received his M.Com degree from MG College, Thiruvananthapuram

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.