From a primary member of the Congress at the age of 19 to the Chief Minister of the state, from a Congress committee secretary of Thrissur town to the kingmaker of national politics, K Karunakaran’s political journey was seldom smooth or peaceful. He faced storms and challenges with courage and his trademark smile. Karunakaran made his mark in national politics soon after the tragic death of Rajiv Gandhi. The Congress could not decide on a successor when Karunakaran stepped in and manoeuvred to give P V Narasimha Rao the mantle of the Prime Minister. Karunakaran, who was the senior-most leader in the party, convened a meeting of the parliamentary party to elect Rao and made history by announcing the name of PVN as the next Prime Minister. Congress stalwarts like Arjun Singh, Sharad Pawar and Pranab Mukherjee could not digest the idea of a South Indian PM, but Karunakaran made it happen and this won him the title ‘kingmaker’ in national politics.
Karunakaran later saved the PVN Ministry, which was faced with a no-confidence motion, by garnering the support of several regional parties and the ministry completed its full term at the Centre. But he couldn’t enjoy his supremacy in New Delhi after 2000 when he lost his clout with the party high command. His attempts to anoint his son K Muraleedharan as his successor in Kerala antagonised the state and national leaders. His first major political challenge was the disappearance of engineering college student P Rajan during the Emergency. Karunakaran was the Home Minister then and Rajan’s death owing to police torture cost him dear. A court observation against him compelled him to resign as Chief Minister within one month of his taking office in 1977.
Karunakaran had become the undisputed leader in the party with his keen insight into politics coupled with his shrewdness. If the Congress had just three members in the Assembly in 1967, Karunakaran was instrumental in making it to 32 in the 1970 elections. The same year he formed the United Democratic Front (UDF), which came to power in 1977. Karunakaran achieved victory despite the anti-Indira Gandhi and anti-Congress wave that prevailed in the country after the Emergency.
The Congress-led front then secured 111 seats out of the 140 and all the 20 Lok Sabha seats. Though he had to relinquish chief ministership within one month, he returned to power in 1981 but had to face another election within four months as he had lost majority in the Assembly. But in 1982 he came back with a thumping majority. He completed his five-year term this time. However, he bit the dust in the 1987 elections. Karunakaran’s attempt to introduce his son into leadership positions triggered intense infighting in the party.
His trusted lieutenants left his camp. Though in 1991 he came back as Chief Minister, he was in deep trouble. In 1992 he faced a major accident from which he took months to recover. This gap created a lot of political turmoil, particularly in Karunakaran’s life. The choice of a second in command in the UDF ministry, when Karunakaran decided to go for treatment in the US, triggered factionalism in the party and the government. This led eventually to the resignation of Oommen Chandy, then Finance Minister, from the Karunakaran ministry.