Kodikunnil Suresh

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 Loksabha Speaker post as the candidate of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance and contested the 2024 Lok Sabha Speaker Election. He is the chief Whip of Congress Parliamentary Party in Loksabha. He was a former Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment. He is a member of the Eighteenth Lok Sabha representing Mavelikara in Kerala. He has been elected as a member of Lok Sabha eight times. 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. He did his pre-degree from Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram and graduation in LL.B from Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram.

In the 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.

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 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.

Electoral performance Year ConstituencyParty Votes % OpponentParty Votes % Result Margin % 1989 Adoor (SC) 343,672 49.91 N. Rajan 322,130 46.78 21,542 3.13 1991 Adoor (SC) 327,066 49.49 Bhargavi Thankappan 308,471 46.67 18,595 2.82 1996 Adoor (SC) 351,872 52.58 P.K. Raghavan 286,327 42.79 65,545 9.79 1998 Adoor (SC) 316,292 46.05 Chengara Surendran 333,297 48.53 17,005 2.48 1999 Adoor (SC) 337,003 48.27 Chengara Surendran 314,997 45.12 22,006 3.15 2004 Adoor (SC) 277,682 40.57 Chengara Surendran 332,216 48.54 54,534 7.97 2009 Mavelikara 397,211 49.42 R.S. Anil 349,163 43.44 48,048 5.98 2014 Mavelikara 402,432 45.25 Chengara Surendran 369,695 41.57 32,737 3.68 2019 Mavelikkara 440,415 45.29 Chittayam Gopakumar 379,277 39.01 61,138 6.28 2024 Mavelikkara 369,516 41.75 Adv. Arun Kumar C. A. 358,648 40.52 10,868 1.23

Controversies His victory in the 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 Christian. This verdict was later reversed by the Supreme Court of India.