VM Sudheeran is an Indian politician and former Chairman of the Kerala Congress Committee. He is a respected politician from Kerala and was a member of the 6th, 11th, 12th and 13th Lok Sabha.
Wiki/Biography
VM Sudheeran was born on Wednesday, May 26, 1948, in Padiyam, a small village in Thrissur, Kerala (74 years old as of 2022). He holds a B.A. He began his political career as a member of the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of the Indian National Congress party in the state.
appearance
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Sudhiran was born into a Malayali family in Thrissur, Kerala.
Parents and siblings
His father’s name is Vylopally Sankaran Mama and mother’s name is Girija.
wife and children
Sudheeran’s husband Latha is a retired bank employee turned green entrepreneur. They have a son Sarin Sudheeran and a daughter Salila.
caste
Sudheeran belongs to the Ezhava community.
address
GRA 777, Goureesapattam, Pattam Palace PO, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Profession
politics
Sudhiran entered politics as a KSU member and was appointed president of the Kerala Students Union in 1971; he served as KSU president from 1971 to 1973. In 1975, Sudhiran was appointed president of the Kerala Youth Congress and served until 1977. He was influential in denying party tickets to many tainted people in the 2016 Kerala Assembly elections; he was staunchly opposed to the reopening of over 700 Indian-made foreign liquor bars that were closed during the Oommen Chandy cabinet. Sudheeran quit the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) on September 25, 2021, and two days later, he announced his resignation from the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Some reports said Sudhiran quit two senior decision-making bodies of the Congress party in protest at the lack of consultation by the KPCC. Sudhiran faced strong criticism from within the Congress party for his rigid stance on liquor policy. Sudheeeran was accused by leaders of triggering the bar bribery crisis that led to the downfall of the Congress party and the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the 2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections.
Sudheeran with party workers at Indira Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram
Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA)
VM Sudheeran first won the state Legislative Assembly election in 1980; he contested from the Manalur State Assembly constituency in Thrissur district of Kerala. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) representing the Manalur Assembly constituency between 1980 and 1996 and won all the Legislative Assembly elections during that period. On March 8, 1985, Sudhiran was appointed as the 12th Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly; from March 8, 1985 to March 27, 1987, he served as the Speaker of the Assembly. On April 20, 1995, he was appointed as the National Health Minister in the AK Antony government; however, he resigned from the post on May 9, 1996, as he was nominated by the Indian National Congress party to contest the 1996 Indian general elections.
Member of Parliament (MP)
Sudheeran contested his first general election in 1977; he was the Indian National Congress candidate, representing the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency. He achieved his first victory and became a member of the 6th Lok Sabha. Sudhiran then contested the 1996 general election and won again. He retained his seat in the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency in the 1998 and 1999 general elections; in the 1999 general election, he defeated Murali, a famous Malayalam actor and candidate of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), by a large margin . In the 2004 Indian general elections, he unsuccessfully contested against KS Manoj of the CPI(M) in the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency. Sudheeran refused to contest the 2009 general elections because he wanted to make way for younger politicians; however, the party wanted him to contest the elections.
kerala congress committee
VM Sudheeran was appointed President of the Kerala Congress Committee (KPCC) by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on February 10, 2014. Sudheeran was appointed by the party high command as the party’s game-changer ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections; he acted as a corrective force within the Congress party and was widely accepted among civil society. Sudhiran’s confrontational approach to certain issues dealt with by the then state government, led by veteran Congress leader Oommen Chandy, attracted critics within the party. The then Chief Minister of Kerala Oommen Chandy and the then Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala disagreed with the AICC’s decision to appoint Sudheeran as KPCC Chairman; Sudheeran was strongly opposed to factional politics, and senior members of Congress A Group and Congress First Group Leaders fear his appointment will be an antidote to growing factionalism. Some reports claimed that Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala had proposed to the party high command to appoint the then Speaker of the Kerala Assembly G. Karthikeyan as the new KPCC chairman; however, the party leadership decided to appoint Sudheeran as they believed that he would serve as A clean politician’s popularity among the public will help them win the 2014 Indian general election. Since taking office, Sudhiran has been criticized by the Congress A Group and the Congress I Group for his style of conduct; Sudhiran is not a member of the Congress A Group or the Congress I Group and he has often lashed out at the leaders of these groups Attempts to weaken party unity. Sudheeran resigned as chairman of the Kerala Congress Committee on March 10, 2017, citing health reasons. Sudhiran revealed in an interview that he resigned as KPCC chairman due to personal inconveniences and that the party’s interests were paramount; he added that his difficulties should not affect the party’s work.
VM Sudheeran with family of Periya murder victim
Assets and property
movable property
- Deposits with banks, financial institutions and non-banking financial companies: Rs. 9590
- Corporate bonds, debentures and shares: Rs. 1000
- NSS, Postal Savings etc.: Rs. 70,000
Note: The movable and immovable property estimates given are based on 2004. Excludes assets owned by his wife and dependents (minors).
Facts/Trivia
- VM Sudheeran served as Chairman of the Budget Committee of the Kerala Legislature from 1982 to 1984.
- From 1984 to 1985 he was a member of the Private Members’ Bills and Resolutions Committee.
- VM Sudheeran often rejected the Congress’s neoliberal economic policies and demanded a return to Nehruvian socialism.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education