KC Venugopal is an Indian politician affiliated with the Indian National Congress. He is a member of the Rajya Sabha. He had previously served as a member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly and a member of the Lok Sabha. He has held various ministerial portfolios in the Government of Kerala and the United Progressive Alliance of India.
Wiki/Biography
KC Venugopal was born on Monday, February 4, 1963 (age 61; as of 2024) in Kandonthar, Payanur, Kannur District, Kerala, India. His zodiac sign is Aquarius. He received his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) (1984) from Payyannur College, Kannur district and Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Mathematics (1986) from Calicut University, Calicut. ), Kerala. He later completed his LLB course as well. Additionally, during college, Venugopal was active in volleyball. He represented Payanur College and Calicut University in volleyball. His political journey began with the student movement of the Indian National Congress. He held various positions in the Kerala Students Union (KSU), initially as unit president and later as Thaliparamba Taluk treasurer, Kannur district secretary, state vice-president and state treasurer. In 1988, he was elected KSU State President for a five-year term. During his tenure at Payyannur College, he served as the college union committee member for four consecutive years. Additionally, he serves as a member of the Senate of the University of Kerala. Venugopal served as the state president of the Youth Congress from 1993 to 2000.
KC Venugopal (centre) in his early days in politics
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′10″
Weight (approximately): 75kg
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
He was born into a Hindu Nair family.
Parents and siblings
His father’s name is Kunji Krishnan Nambi and his mother’s name is Janaki Amma. He has a sister.
KC Venugopal’s father Kunji Krishnan Nambi and mother Janaki Amma
KC Venugopal and his mother Janaki Amma
wife and children
His wife’s name is Asha Venugopal, who is an assistant professor and head of the English department at VTM NSS College in Thiruvananthapuram. He has a daughter named Parvati Venugopal and a son named Gokul Venugopal, who is a content creator.
KC Venugopal’s wife, Asha Venugopal
KC Venugopal’s son Gokul Venugopal and daughter Parvati Venugopal
address
Rajeevam, Pazhaveedu PO, Alappuzha, Kerala District, Postal Code – 695004
sign
Profession
Early career in politics
He rose to prominence in 1991 when his mentor Karunakaran, the then chief minister of Kerala, secured him a Lok Sabha ticket from Kasaragod . At 28, he was narrowly defeated while serving as president of the party’s student wing. In 1995, Venugopal publicly opposed Karunakaran’s decision to suspend Arjun Singh from the political party. Venugopal publicly supported Singh despite the dissent of Karunakaran and others in the party. This led to a rift between Venugopal and Karunakaran.
KC Venugopal and his mentor K. Karunakaran
When Antony succeeded Karunakaran as chief minister in March 1995, Venugopal had distanced himself and joined a group of young leaders known as the “Third Group”. The group was led by Ramesh Chennithala, G. Karthikeyan and MI Shanavas, who considered themselves reformists or correctionalists (called “Thiruthalvaadi” in Malayalam). Their aim was to challenge the influence and control of Karunakaran and Antony in the party.
KC Venugopal vs K. Karunakaran and AK Antony
The journey to becoming an important member of Congress
He first became a member of the Legislative Assembly in 1996 and successfully regained his seat in 2001 and 2006. In 2004, he served as a minister in the government led by Oommen Chandy.
KC Venugopal and Rajiv Gandhi
In 2009, he was promoted to Member of the Lok Sabha (MP). Within two years, he was appointed federal minister of state, a position seen as a way to appease the Nair community.
KC Venugopal spoke in Lok Sabha during his tenure as MP
During the second term of the United Progressive Alliance government from 2009 to 2014, Venugopal served as Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Minister of Power. In 2014, Venugopal was one of the few Kerala MPs to win a seat and be appointed party whip despite the Congress party’s poor performance across the country.
KC Venugopal speaks at political rally
On April 29, 2017, he was appointed as the Secretary General of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). According to his close associates, he successfully convinced Rahul Gandhi to contest from Wayanad in Kerala during the 2019 elections. Rahul’s victory from Kerala despite losing the Amitsi stronghold shows that Venugopal accurately gauged the political climate in Uttar Pradesh.
KC Venugopal with Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra
He also served as head of the Congressional War Room during several elections. On June 19, 2020, he was elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha of Rajasthan. Under his leadership, the Congress won 135 out of 224 seats in the 2023 Karnataka elections with a landslide majority.
KC Venugopal with Karnataka Congress stalwart DK Shivakumar and his brother DK Suresh
2024 Lok Sabha elections
He contested the Lok Sabha elections from Alappuzha seat in Kerala and won.
dispute
sexual exploitation charges
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned him in 2022 over his alleged sexual exploitation in the 2012 Kerala solar scam case. In 2013, the main accused, who deceived people by promising solar solutions and sharing solar projects, wrote a letter to the top police officer in Kerala accusing Hibi Eden (then MP, now MP), KC Venugopal, former chief minister Oommen Chandy, former minister Anil Kumar, Congress MP Adoor Prakash and BJP leader Abdullah Kutty sexually exploited her. Initially, the case was reported to the local police, but later, in August 2021, the CBI took over the investigation on the advice of the state government. Earlier, the accused expressed his dissatisfaction with the local police investigation in a letter to the Chief Minister, leading to the transfer of the case to the CBI.
car collection
He owns Toyota Innova and Toyota Etios.
income
His income in the financial year 2018-19 was Rs 9 lakh.
assets and property
movable property
- Bank Deposit: Rs. 3,94,541
- Motor Vehicles: Rs. 18,08,140
real estate
- Non-agricultural land: Rs. 32,00,000
- Residential Building: Rs. 3,00,000
Note: The movable and immovable property estimates given are based on 2019. Excludes assets owned by his wife and dependents (minors).
net worth
Venugopal’s net worth for the financial year 2018-19 is estimated at Rs. 2.7 Crores. It does not include the net worth of his wife and dependents (minors).
Favorites
Facts/Trivia
- In his free time, he enjoys reading, writing and listening to music.
- In an interview, he described Rahul Gandhi as the most handsome MP, Hema Malini as the most beautiful actress, Arun Jaitley as an excellent orator, Venkaiah Nai Du is a person who gets angry over trivial things.
- His father wanted him to become an engineer or a government employee because he was very good at studies. However, his mother supported him becoming a politician.
- Whenever he takes time off from political campaigning, he enjoys singing and watching movies with his wife.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education