KPCC chief K Sudhakaran.
Credit: Twitter/@SudhakaranINC
Political Party: Congress
Parliamentary Constituency: Kannur, Kerala
An outspoken leader, K Sudhakaran (75) is shouldering more responsibilities this time as it is the first General Election in Kerala after he took over as the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president in 2021.
Sudhakaran is a two-time Lok Sabha MP from Kannur in north Kerala and three-time MLA of Kannur Assembly seat. The veteran Congress leader is again contesting the Lok Sabha election from Kannur this time. Even though he preferred to stay away from the electoral fray, the Congress asked him to take on CPM senior leader M V Jayarajan in the Left stronghold.
A native of Kannur, Sudhakaran is often assumed to be a leader who strongly resists CPM's violent politics in Kannur, despite the fact that he too has faced barbs for allegedly backing violent politics against the Left party.
Sudhakaran, who recently claimed that he had survived six murder attempts by the CPM, was himself an accused in the killing of Left activist Nalpadi Vasu in Kannur in 1993. Vasu was killed in the firing by Sudhakaran's gunman. The fiery leader, who was acquitted in the case, had even justified the killing.
A major challenge before Sudhakaran this time is his alleged nexus with a fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal. He was charge-sheeted by the Kerala Police in a cheating case associated with Mavunkal. Subsequently, he was arrested and released on bail. He has also come under the ED scanner.