PALAKKAD: With the central leadership of the Janata Dal(S) giving nod for a change of guard, Chittur MLA K Krishnankutty, a farmer and a staunch supporter of the cooperative sector, will occupy the minister’s chair. He will be replacing Tiruvalla MLA and Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas.
At the crack of dawn, Krishnankutty is at his farm in Chittur consisting of paddy, coconut, arecanut and vegetables and thus he is familiar with the problems of the farming community.
He is one of the champions in the fight for the rights of Kerala under the inter-state Parambikulam-Aliyar river water-sharing agreement.
Krishnankutty, who entered politics through Congress in 1964, had served as a member of the KPCC, state treasurer of the National Labour Organisation and state secretary general and national executive committee member of the Janata Dal, president of the Perumatty Service Cooperative Bank and vice-president of Palakkad District Cooperative Bank He was first elected from Chittur He wrested the seat beating Mullappally Ramachandran. Krishnankutty was born to Kunjukutty and Janaki of Ezhuthani in Perumatty,