Tanisha R at 10:09, 26 February 2026

2026-02-26T10:09:00Z

New page

{{Short description|Indian politician (born 1962)}}
{{family name hatnote|Kodikunnil|Suresh|Indian name|lang=Toponymic}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Kodikunnil Suresh
| honorific-suffix = [[Member of Parliament|MP]]
| image = കൊടിക്കുന്നിൽ സുരേഷ്.jpg
| imagesize =
| smallimage = 
| alt =
| caption = Official portrait, 2019
| order =
| office1 = [[Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha]]
| term_start1 = {{Start date|2009|05|31|df=yes}}
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = [[C. S. Sujatha]]
| constituency1 = [[Mavelikara (Lok Sabha constituency)|Mavelikkara, Kerala]]
| term_start2 = 6 October 1999
| term_end2 = 13 May 2004
| predecessor2 = [[Chengara Surendran]]
| successor2 = [[Chengara Surendran]]
| constituency2 = [[Adoor (Lok Sabha constituency)|Adoor, Kerala]]
| term_start3 = 28 November 1989
| term_end3 = 4 December 1997
| predecessor3 = K. K. Kunhambu
| successor3 = [[Chengara Surendran]]
| constituency3 = [[Adoor (Lok Sabha constituency)|Adoor, Kerala]]
| office4 = [[Ministry of Labour and Employment (India)|Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment]]
| primeminister4 = [[Manmohan Singh]]
| minister4 = *[[Mallikarjun Kharge]]
*[[Shish Ram Ola]]
*[[Oscar Fernandes]]
| term_start4 = 28 October 2012
| term_end4 = 26 May 2014
| predecessor4 = [[Harish Rawat]]
| successor4 = [[Vishnudeo Sai]]
| party = [[Indian National Congress]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|06|04|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Thiruvananthapuram district|Kodikunnil]], [[Kerala]], India
| nationality = [[Indian people|Indian]]
| residence =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = {{Unbulleted_list|[[Mar Ivanios College|Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram]]|[[Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram]]}}
| education = [[Bachelor of Laws]]
| spouse = {{marriage|Bindu Suresh|1994}}
| children = 2
| website =
| footnotes =
| date =
| year =
| source =
| minister_from1 =
| minister1 =
| office2 =
| term =
}}

'''Kodikunnil Suresh''' (born 4 June 1962) is an Indian politician and [[Congress Working Committee]] Member (Special Invitee). He is the working-president of the [[Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee]] (KPCC). He filed his nomination for [[Speaker of the Lok Sabha|Loksabha Speaker post]] as the candidate of [[Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance]] and contested the [[2024 Lok Sabha Speaker Election]].<ref name="Lok Sabha Speaker election: Kodikunnil Suresh of Congress files nomination as INDIA bloc candidate">{{cite news |last1=The Hindu |first1= |date=25 June 2024 |title=Lok Sabha Speaker election: Kodikunnil Suresh of Congress files nomination as INDIA bloc candidate |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/lok-sabha-speaker-nomination-kodikunnil-suresh-india-bloc-candidate-om-birla-nda-nominee/article68330787.ece |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240625085722/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/lok-sabha-speaker-nomination-kodikunnil-suresh-india-bloc-candidate-om-birla-nda-nominee/article68330787.ece |archivedate=25 June 2024 |accessdate=25 June 2024 |language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=25 June 2024 |title=Congress' Kodikunnil Suresh files nomination for LS Speaker post, forcing first-ever contest since 1946 |url=https://www.onmanorama.com/news/india/2024/06/25/kodikunnil-suresh-congress-speaker-post-election.html |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=[[Onmanorama]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-26 |title=NDA candidate Om Birla elected Speaker of Lok Sabha for 2nd consecutive term |url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/india/om-birla-ls-speaker-1.9670006 |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=Mathrubhumi |language=en |quote=New Delhi: Om Birla, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate and Member of Parliament from Kota, Rajasthan, was elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The motion, moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seconded by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, was adopted through a voice vote amidst resounding 'Ayes' and 'Noes' echoing in the house. Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab officially declared Om Birla as the Speaker of the lower house. Interestingly, the opposition, which had nominated K Suresh as the candidate for the INDIA bloc, chose not to press for a division vote.}}</ref> He is the [[Whip (politics)|chief Whip]] of Congress Parliamentary Party in Loksabha.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-14 |title=Congress retains Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh as Lok Sabha deputy leader, chief whip |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/congress-retains-gaurav-gogoi-k-suresh-as-lok-sabha-deputy-leader-chief-whip-101720946537481.html |access-date=2024-07-14 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> He was a former Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment. He is a member of the [[Lok Sabha|Eighteenth Lok Sabha]] representing [[Mavelikara (Lok Sabha constituency)|Mavelikara]] in [[Kerala]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/feb/kerala17.htm |title=Rediff On The NeT: Polling Booth: Election' 96: Kerala/Adoor |work=Rediff.com |access-date=2010-07-08}}</ref> He has been elected as a member of [[Lok Sabha]] eight times.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-06-21 |title=Kerala CM, Oppn. flay Centre for ignoring Kodikunnil for pro tem Speaker post |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/cm-oppn-flay-centre-for-ignoring-kodikunnil-for-pro-tem-speaker-post/article68316988.ece |access-date=2024-06-21 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> He has also served as the Secretary of the [[All India Congress Committee]] (AICC).

==Early life and education==
He was born in Kodikunnil, [[Thiruvananthapuram district]] to a poor family, as the youngest son of Kunjan and Thankamma.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Suresh Kodikunnil {{!}} National Portal of India|url=https://www.india.gov.in/my-government/indian-parliament/suresh-kodikunnil|access-date=2021-06-09|website=www.india.gov.in}}</ref> He did his [[Pre-university course|pre-degree]] from [[Mar Ivanios College|Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram]] and graduation in [[Bachelor of Laws|LL.B]] from [[Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram]].<ref name=":0" />

==Political career==
He was elected to the [[Lok Sabha]] for the first time in 1989 and thereafter he won consecutively in the 1991, 1996 and 1999 General Elections to the Lok Sabha from [[Adoor Lok Sabha constituency|Adoor constituency]] for four straight terms.

However he was defeated in the 1998 and 2004 general elections.

Kodikunnil served as the member of the [[Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee]] and member of [[All India Congress Committee]].<ref name=":0" />
He also serves as Kerala Pradesh congress committee General Secretary, DCC President Kollam.<ref>[https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kodikunnil-to-be-kollam-dcc-working-president/article8302662.ece Kodikunnil to be Kollam DCC working president]</ref>

In the [[2009 Indian general election|general election to the Lok Sabha in 2009]], he contested from [[Mavelikara Lok Sabha constituency]] and defeated R. S. Anil of the [[Communist Party of India]] with a margin of 48,048 votes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.keralanext.com/news/2009/05/16/article126.asp |title=Kodikunnil Suresh wins in Mavelikkara |access-date=2009-05-20 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520171634/http://www.keralanext.com/news/2009/05/16/article126.asp |archive-date=20 May 2009 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

On 19 September 2018, he was appointed as working-president of the [[Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee]] (KPCC).

He continued to win in [[2009 Indian general election]], [[2014 Indian general election]], [[2019 Indian general election]] and [[2024 Indian general election]] from [[Mavelikara Lok Sabha constituency]]<ref>[https://hindi.asianetnews.com/national-news/congress-senior-most-mp-kodikunnil-suresh-nominated-as-18th-lok-sabha-pro-tem-speaker-dvg/articleshow-9wprpkr कांग्रेस सांसद के.सुरेश बनाए गए प्रोटेम स्पीकर, 18वीं लोकसभा के लिए नवनिर्वाचित सांसदों को दिलाएंगे शपथ!]</ref> and is currently the longest serving Lok Sabha MP as he has remained MP for 29 years, winning the elections 8 times. The position of pro tem speaker, assigned for administering the oath taking ceremony of the elected MPs, is traditionally given to the senior most member. However, this tradition was broken in 2024 after [[Bhartruhari Mahtab]] was elected as pro tem speaker. In response, the INDIA alliance nominated K. Suresh as candidate for post of speaker, triggering an election for the post for the first time since independence.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/lok-sabha-speaker-election-om-birla-k-suresh-nda-bjp-jdu-tdp-jds-apna-dal-india-congress-samajwadi-party-dmk-tmc-ysr-congress-434701-2024-06-26|title=Om Birla vs K Suresh: Lok Sabha Speaker election today. Here's how the numbers stack up}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/today-in-politics-nda-om-birla-india-bloc-suresh-speaker-post-cbi-kejriwal-custody-9415380/|title=NDA's Birla vs INDIA bloc's Suresh in rare battle for Speaker post; CBI set to seek Kejriwal custody}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2024/06/25/om-birla-vs-k-suresh-lok-sabha-set-for-first-speaker-election-in-decades.html|title=Om Birla vs K. Suresh: Lok Sabha set for first Speaker election in decades}}</ref>

==Controversies==
His victory in the [[2009 Indian general election|2009 general election]] was declared void by the [[Kerala High Court]] over the allegation that his caste certificate was fake, and that he was a [[Christianity in Kerala|Christian]]. This verdict was later reversed by the [[Supreme Court of India]].<ref name=election>{{cite news|title=Apex court upholds Kodikunnil Suresh's election|url=http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/13/stories/2011051360680100.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519175742/http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/13/stories/2011051360680100.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 May 2011|access-date=28 October 2012|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=13 May 2011}}</ref><ref name=Verdict>{{cite web|title=Kodikunnil Suresh @ J.Monian vs N.S.Saji Kumar|url=http://www.indiankanoon.org/doc/1532276/|work=Supreme Court Records|publisher=Indian Kanoon|access-date=28 October 2012}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-bef| before = [[C. S. Sujatha]]}}
{{s-ttl | title = [[Member of Parliament#India|Member of Parliament]] from [[Mavelikara]] | years = 2009 – present}}
{{s-inc | }}
{{end}}
{{Cabinet of Manmohan Singh}}
{{17th LS members from Kerala}}
{{16th LS members from Kerala}}
{{15th LS members from Kerala}}
{{13th LS members from Kerala}}
{{11th LS members from Kerala}}
{{10th LS members from Kerala}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Suresh, Kodikunnil}}
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Kerala]]
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Malayali politicians]]
[[Category:Indian Christians]]
[[Category:India MPs 2009–2014]]
[[Category:Lok Sabha members from Kerala]]
[[Category:India MPs 1989–1991]]
[[Category:India MPs 1991–1996]]
[[Category:India MPs 1996–1997]]
[[Category:India MPs 1999–2004]]
[[Category:India MPs 2014–2019]]
[[Category:People from Thiruvananthapuram district]]
[[Category:India MPs 2019–2024]]
[[Category:Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram alumni]]
[[Category:India MPs 2024–2029]]
[[Category:Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance candidates in 2024 Indian general election]]

Kodikunnil Suresh - Revision history

Tanisha R at 10:09, 26 February 2026