KOZHIKODE: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister K P Unnikrishnan died in Kozhikode on Tuesday morning. He was 90. The veteran parliamentarian had been undergoing treatment for age-related health issues at a private hospital in the city.
With his demise, Kerala bids farewell to one of the last towering figures of a political generation that viewed Parliament as a forum for ideological debate rather than mere arithmetic. Unnikrishnan’s career, marked by conviction and independence, reflected the shifting political currents of post-Independence India.
Beginning his journey in the Socialist Party, Unnikrishnan joined the Congress in 1960 and became a member of the All India Congress Committee two years later. His rise in national politics gathered pace when he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Vadakara in 1971. He would go on to represent the constituency multiple times — 1977, 1980, 1984, 1989 and 1991 — establishing a strong personal following that often rose above party lines.
Though aligned with the Congress for much of his career, Unnikrishnan remained deeply rooted in socialist principles inspired by Jawaharlal Nehru. He was once considered close to Indira Gandhi, but took a firm stand against the Emergency imposed in 1975, at a time when internal dissent within the Congress was rare.
Political realignments during that turbulent period saw him move to Congress (U) and later Congress (S). By 1980, he had aligned with the Left Front led by the CPM in Kerala. Even as several contemporaries, including A K Antony, returned to the Congress, Unnikrishnan charted his own path.
From 1980 onward, he contested from Vadakara with Left backing and secured repeated victories against formidable opponents. His 1984 win stood out particularly, as he triumphed despite the nationwide sympathy wave that followed Indira Gandhi’s assassination and the sweeping victory of Rajiv Gandhi.
In Parliament, Unnikrishnan earned respect for his articulate and forceful interventions. During the National Front government headed by V P Singh, he served in the Union Cabinet between 1989 and 1990, handling portfolios including Telecommunications, Shipping and Transport.
The 1991 Lok Sabha election from Vadakara became one of the most talked-about contests in Kerala’s political history. An unusual political convergence saw the Congress, Indian Union Muslim League and the BJP backing an Independent candidate against him. The episode popularised the term “Co-Li-Bi alliance” in Kerala’s political vocabulary. Despite the combined opposition, Unnikrishnan retained the seat with a margin of 17,489 votes.
He rejoined the Congress in 1995, marking a return to his long-time political home. However, his 1996 electoral bid ended in defeat to CPM candidate O Bharathan. Thereafter, Unnikrishnan gradually stepped away from public life, spending his later years quietly in Kozhikode.
According to experts and political observers, with his passing, Kerala loses a seasoned parliamentarian whose political life was defined by ideological commitment, independence of thought, and a readiness to stand apart when principles demanded it.