K. C. Venugopal

Kozhummal Chattadi Venugopal (born 4 February 1963) is an Indian politician who is a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha elected from Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency. He is a former member of parliament in Upper House and is a member of the Indian National Congress. He has been appointed a General Secretary of AICC and in charge of Karnataka on 29 April 2017. Later, he was given additional charge of the general secretary of the organisation.

He was the Minister of State for Civil Aviation & Ministry of Power in the second UPA government. He was a Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan between 2020 and 2024 and an MLA for Alappuzha from 1996 to 2009 and served as Cabinet Minister in the Kerala State Government for Tourism and Devaswoms in 2004.

Early life Kozhummal Chattadi Venugopal was born on 4 February 1963 to Kunjukrishnan Nair and Janaki Amma in Payyanur, Kannur district of Kerala on 4 February 1963.

Venugopal completed his higher education at Payyannur College, which was affiliated with the University of Calicut at the time. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) and later obtained a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Mathematics from the university in 1986. During his college days, he was also a volleyball player.

Political career Venugopal taking charge as the Minister of State for Power in Second Manmohan Singh ministry on 20 January 2011. Venugopal came to active politics through the Student Movement of the Indian National Congress. He became the State President of the Kerala Students Union and State President of the Indian Youth Congress, He was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly from Alappuzha Constituency in 1996, 2001 and 2006. He served as the Minister for Dewaswom and Tourism in the Oommen Chandy Ministry from 2004-06. He contested the General Elections to Loksabha from Alappuzha Constituency in 2009 and was elected.

On 29 April 2017, he was chosen as general secretary of All India Congress Committee. He also was made in charge of Congress War Rooms in many elections. He was nominated from Rajasthan as a Member of parliament Rajya Sabha on 19 June 2020. He served until 2024, when he resigned to contest the general election. He won from Alappuzha once again this time with a margin of 63,513 votes.

Member of Coordination Committee of INDIA (Alliance) Venugopal was appointed as a member of the Coordination Committee of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance at its Mumbai convention on 1 September 2023. The coordination committee will decide the national agenda, common campaign issues and common program of the country's main opposition alliance (I.N.D.I.A.).

Election History

Positions held + Positions Held Position Duration Chairperson, Committee on Public Accounts 14 August 2024 Present Elected to 18th Lok Sabha June 2024 Member, Committee on Defence September 2021 Present Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Education July 2020 Present Member, Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture July 2020 September 2021 Elected to Rajya Sabha June 2020 June 2024 Member, Joint Committee on the Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws and Miscellaneous Provision (Amendment) Bill, 2016 11 May 2016 Present Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Human Resource Development Member, Railway Convention Committee (R.C.C.) 27 April 2015 Present Deputy Whip, Congress Parliamentary Party (Lok Sabha) Member, Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture Member, Committee on Government Assurances 1 September 2014 Present Re-elected to 16th Lok Sabha (2nd term) May 2014 Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation 1 May 2012 2014 Union Minister of State, Ministry of Civil Aviation 28 October 2012 2014 Union Minister of State, Ministry of Power 1 May 2011 Union Minister of State, Ministry of Power 19 January 2011 28 October 2012 Member, India-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship Group 22 July 2010 Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Agriculture Member, Railway Convention Committee Member, Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture 31 August 2009 Member, Committee on Estimates 6 August 2009 Elected to 15th Lok Sabha 2009 Cabinet Minister, Government of Kerala 1 September 2004 2006 Minister for Tourism and Devaswom, Government of Kerala 2004 2006 Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), Kerala 1 May 1996 2009 Member, Kerala Legislative Assembly (Three Terms) 1996 2009