K. Sudhakaran: Congress Re-nominates State Chief From Kannur Constituency (Photon on X K. Sudhakaran: Congress Re-nominates State Chief From Kannur Constituency)Kerala Pradesh Congress president and one of the party veterans K Sudhakaran has been nominated from his sitting Kannur Lok Sabha constituency. Citing organisational responsibilities, he had reportedly planned not to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections initially and then with the CPM deciding to field the veteran leader M V Jayarajan, pressure on Sudhakaran to contest from the constituency mounted. However, with the Congress re-nominated him for the second term, he has to face one of the toughest battles against the CPM heavyweight, and that too in a CPM dominated constituency. Majority of the assembly segments are held by the CPM in the Kannur Lok Sabha constituency.
Born in 1948 in Kannur district, Mr Sudhakaran completed his MA and L.LB education, he was a four-term member of the Kerala legislative assembly from Kannur constituency. He has also served as a cabinet minister in the UDF-led Kerala government. He was first elected to Lok Sabha in 2009 from Kannur, defeating the left party’s K. K. Rajesh of CPIM. But in 2014, he was defeated by the P. K Sreemathy by a margin of 6,566.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Mr Sudhakaran reclaimed the seat with a majority of 94,559. As one of the tightly contested seats. With CMP fielding MV Jayarajan, it is to watch and see who will emerge victorious from the constituency.
During the previous term, Mr Sudhakaran participated in 19 debates and asked over 270 questions. He has a registered attendance rate of 50 per cent in the Lok Sabha. As per his affidavit, he has over two crore assets and has some cases registered against him including the Monson Mavunkal fraud case.
Mr Sudhakaran who was recently named as the second accused in in Monson Mavunkal fraud case is one of the key political stalwarts in the state. The Crime Branch of Kerala Police earlier this month filed a charge-sheet against the Congress leader. He was also arrested last year in the same case and was given anticipatory bail.