K. B. Ganesh Kumar

Keezhoote Balakrishna Ganesh Kumar (born 25 May 1966), known as K. B. Ganesh Kumar, is an Indian politician, actor and television host. He is the chairperson of the Kerala Congress (B). He served as the Minister for Transport in the Government of Kerala from 2001 to 2003 and again from December 2023 to May 2026. He also served as the Minister for Forests, Environment, Sports and Cinema from 2011 to 2013. He was a member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly representing the Pathanapuram Assembly constituency from 2001 to 2026. He made his debut as an actor in the film Irakal directed by K. G. George. He has starred in over 100 Malayalam films, performing a variety of roles.

He was the Minister for Forests & Environment, Sports and Cinema in the Government of Kerala beginning May 2011 until his resignation on 1 April 2013. He was elected from Pathanapuram in 2001 and has represented the constituency till the year 2026. He was Transport Minister from May 2001 to March 2003. He is the son of R. Balakrishna Pillai, former Minister of Kerala. In 2023, the Nair Service Society appointed Ganesh Kumar in the NSS Board of Directors, replacing Kalanjoor Madhu, the elder brother of K. N. Balagopal, the Minister for Finance, Government of Kerala. In March 2026, the NSS Pathanapuram Taluk Union governing body, which Ganesh Kumar presided over, was dissolved by the Karayogam Registrar after 11 of its 19 members resigned. The mass resignation was triggered by allegations of financial irregularities regarding a ₹4 crore building construction project in Punalur, alongside accusations of an authoritarian administrative style. Consequently, an ad-hoc committee was appointed to run the union. The internal mutiny culminated in June 2026 when the NSS leadership chose not to reappoint Ganesh Kumar to the Board of Directors upon the expiration of his term. While the terms of the other eight sitting directors were renewed, Ganesh Kumar was explicitly replaced by B.R.K. Babu, a move he publicly criticized as undemocratic.

Political career

In May 2001, Ganesh Kumar was elected to the Kerala Assembly from Pathanapuram on a Kerala Congress (B) ticket. He defeated K. Prakash Babu, by a margin of 9,931 votes. Ganesh Kumar's father and former Minister, R. Balakrishna Pillai had been elected from the neighbouring constituency of Kottarakara, which he had represented for several decades.

Ganesh Kumar became Transport Minister in the Antony cabinet in May 2001 and went on to give a good account of himself. Though a political novice at that time, he turned around the ailing KSRTC and earned a reputation for providing a clean and efficient administration. In March 2003, he stepped down from his ministerial post to facilitate his father's induction into the Cabinet.

In the 2006 Assembly elections, Ganesh Kumar was once again elected from Pathanapuram, this time realising an increased victory margin of 11,814 votes by defeating K. R. Chandramohanan of CPI. LDF had made a clean sweep, winning 11 out of 12 seats in Kollam District and a formidable majority in the State Assembly, thereby making Ganesh Kumar the only UDF MLA from Kollam district. The election also saw the defeat of many of his former ministerial colleagues, including M. K. Muneer, P. K. Kunhalikutty, Babu Divakaran and Ganesh Kumar's father Balakrishna Pillai.

In the 2011 Assembly elections, Ganesh Kumar scored a hat-trick win from Pathanapuram with an even bigger margin of 20,402 votes, trouncing his veteran CPM rival, K. Rajagopal. He went on to become a Minister for Forests, Sports and Cinema in the Oommen Chandy cabinet in May 2011. He resigned from cabinet due to the domestic violence case filed by his wife Yamini Thankachi on 7 April 2013.

In the 2016 Assembly elections, Ganesh Kumar become an LDF candidate and defeated Jagadish of Indian National Congress by a margin of 24,562 votes.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, Ganesh Kumar become an LDF candidate and defeated Jyothi Kumar Chamakkala of Indian National Congress by a margin of 14,674 votes.

However, in the 2026 Assembly elections, Ganesh Kumar contested as LDF candidate lost for the first time in the Pathanapuram constituency, Jyothi Kumar Chamakkala of the Indian National Congress defeated him by a margin of 8,310 votes.

Personal life

Ganesh was born as the son of former minister R. Balakrishna Pillai and Valsala Kumari in Kollam, Kerala on 25 May 1966. He was an alumnus of Government Arts College, Thiruvananthapuram.

On 20 May 1994, he married Dr. Yamini Thankachy, who worked as a senior research fellow at the Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies while pursuing her Ph.D. in Adolescent health. The couple have two sons, Adithyan and Devaraman. The couple later divorced due to irreconcilable differences due to Kumar's infidelity and domestic violence. Ganesh married Bindhu Menon on 24 January 2014 who works as marketing head in Asianet.

Film career

Ganesh Kumar made his debut in the 1985 Malayalam film Irakal directed by K. G. George. The film was adjudged the second best film for the year. Over the years he made his a mark on the silver screen as a supporting actor, performing a variety of roles during the last two decades. Since 2001 he has balanced his role as MLA with his acting duties.

Ganesh Kumar's early films saw him frequently donning the role of villain or anti-social, as portrayed in Cheppu (1987) and Rakuyilin Ragasadassil. The film Lion (2005), starring Dileep and Kavya Madhavan was loosely based on Ganesh Kumar's life. The movie fared well at the box office.

In March 2008, Ganesh Kumar was chosen by the Frame Media Gallup poll to receive the best actor award for his role in the Amrita TV serial Aliyanmarum Penganmarum. He went on to win the State Award for Best Television Actor (2007) for his role in the serial Madhavam, aired on Surya TV.

Controversy Fenny Balakrishnan, the former lawyer and counsel for Saritha S Nair, the prime accused in the 2013 solar scam, had raised serious allegations against Ganesh Kumar, saying that Ganesh Kumar added four pages to Saritha S. Nair's letter, bringing the total number of pages to 25.

In 2018, he allegedly assaulted a youth in a road rage incident, with the youth ending up in a hospital for injury treatment. Later that year he allegedly manhandled a school headmaster in a school event, facing charges.

Filmography Year Film Role Notes 1985 Irakal Baby 1986 Sukhamo Devi Chandran Yuvajanotsavam Rajeevan 1987 Cheppu Ranjith Kadhakku Pinnil Mohanan Bhoomiyile Rajakkanmar Raju Sarvakalashala Panchara Oru Vivada Vishayam Unni 1988 Kakkothikkavile Appooppan Thaadikal Oru Muthassi Katha Unnikrishnan Chithram Lissy's Brother Janmandharam Murali Dhinarathrangal Chekutty Mrithyunjayam Robin Sangham Anil Mukthi Vinod Manasa Maine Varu Raju 1989 Puthiya Karukkal Suresh Devadas Rajashekharan Thampi Vandanam Raghu Adharvam Vishnu Jagratha Kumar Nair Saab Cadet Ganeshan Eenam Thettatha Kattaru Rajesh 1990 Randam Varavu Tomy Gajakesariyogam Vasu Aye Auto Suresh Veena Meettiya Vilangukal Malayogam Georgekutty Kottayam Kunjachan Mathan Ponnaranjanam Gilbert 1991 Parallel College Vikraman Abhimanyu Gopalakrishnan Kakkathollayiram Balakrishnan Njan Gandharvan Pradeep Kuttapathram Peter Apoorvam Chilar Benny Kilukkam Justice Pillai's son Nayam Vyakthamakkunnu Journalist 1992 Aardram Abu Manyanmaar Vikraman's third son Kaazhchakkppuram Vijayan Kasargod Khader Bhai Ootty Pattanam Rama Varma Kizhakkan Pathrose James Neelakurukkan Nassar Mahanagaram Raju 1993 Ammayane Sathyam Cherian Mafia Murukan Janam Mahesh Customs Diary Jamal Manichithrathazhu Dasappan Kutty Sthalathe Pradhana Payyans Prasannan Ekalavyan Unni Joseph Mulaveedan 1994 Gamanam Bhasi Pakshe Nandini's brother Nandini Oppol Anil Commissioner Prasad Rudraksham Surendra Reddy 1995 Vishnu Chandramohan Agrajan Anto Joseph The King Prasad 1996 Samoohyapadom Mahatma The Great Aayiram Naavulla Ananthan Raju 1997 Asuravamsam Dr. Mohan Kalyanappittannu Guru Aaram Thamburan Ashok Kumar Varnapakittu Tonichen 1998 The Truth SIT Team Member 1999 Ustaad Sethu F.I.R Roy Alex Crime File Raju Namasivaya Aayiram Meni Lalichan Olympian Antony Adam ASP Nasser IPS 2000 Susanna Johny Dada Sahib Das Pilots Vinayachandran 2003 Kilichundan Mampazham Umar 2004 Vismayathumbathu Medical College Professor 2006 Photographer Ananthan 2007 Hallo Sudheesh Nambiar Ali Bhai Therandi Ramu 2008 Veruthe Oru Bharya Doctor 2009 Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded Hari Keralotsavam Kadha, Samvidhanam Kunchakko SP Manoj Pothan Rahasya Police Parampathu Raju Vellathooval City Police Commissioner Aby Swantham Lekhakan Vishnu Red Chillies Inspector Upendra Verma Ivar Vivahitharayal Jeevan 2010 Janakan ACP Rajeev Kumar Alexander the Great Ravi Varma Kaaryasthan CI Sabarinathan Four Friends Dr. Nandhagopal 2011 Nakharam Priyappetta Nattukare 2012 My Boss Tom George Spirit Ashraf 2013 Up & Down: Mukalil Oralundu Siyad Ahemmed Ladies and Gentleman Shivashankara Menon 2014 Avatharam Sudhakaran Mizhi Thurakku Villali Veeran Pavithran 2016 Hallelooya Father Francis 2018 Mandharam Rajesh's father 2019 Kodathi Samaksham Balan Vakeel Vincent Thomas Mera Naam Shaji Dominic George 2021 Saajan Bakery Since 1962 Cheriyan Drishyam 2 CI Philip Mathew Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham Verkkottu Panicker 2022 Aaraattu SP Joseph Cherian Monster SP Joseph Cherian IPS 2023 Neru CI Paul Varghese 2024 Gaganachari Major Victor Vasudevan 2026 Drishyam 3 DySP Philip Mathew Thudakkam

Television

Ammayi (Doordarshan) Dr. Harischadra (Doordarshan) Samayam (Asianet) Gandharva Yamam (Asianet) Sindhooram (Asianet) Radhamadhavam (Surya TV) Mohangal (Doordarshan) Oru Kudayum Kunjipengalum (Doordarshan) Melappadam (Doordarshan) Jwalayayi (Doordarshan) Madhavam (Surya TV) Megham (Asianet) Vikramadithyan (Asianet) Ammathottil (Asianet) Aliyanmarum Penganmarum (Amrita TV) Mandaram (Kairali TV) Bhamini Tholkkarilla (Asianet) Jagratha (Amrita TV) Kalyani (Mazhavil Manorama)

TV shows as Host Nammal Thammil (Asianet)

Awards

Kerala State Television Awards 2007: Kerala State Television Award for Best Actor in a Lead role - Male - Madhavam