THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan has been elected as the 25th Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition jointly escorted Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan to the Speaker’s chair. Thiruvanchoor, who is the MLA from Kottayam, secured 101 votes. LDF candidate A C Moideen received 35 votes, while BJP candidate B B Gopakumar secured 3 votes. This is the first time in history that the BJP has contested the Speaker’s election in the Kerala Legislative Assembly.
Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan assumes the post of Assembly Speaker with a legacy of over fifty years of political activity and three and a half decades of parliamentary experience. Firmness in principles and simplicity in interaction distinguish Thiruvanchoor, who is also a former Home Minister. The highly popular leader won from Kottayam this time with a majority higher than the total votes polled by his opponent.
Speaker of the 16th Legislative Assembly
Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan will now occupy the chair he looked upon with respect throughout his tenure as a legislator. He becomes the Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly at the age of 76 with the rich experience of being an MLA continuously for 35 years. Thiruvanchoor holds a prominent position among the tall leaders of Kerala politics today. He is a gentle public servant without any arrogance, a leader who touches the hearts of the public with his simplicity. His style, blending humor into conversations, makes everyone laugh, from little children to elders. Yet, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan remains a strict disciplinarian regarding his political stances.
Thiruvanchoor’s public service history shows he is a man who never yields to any form of influence. The prime example of this is the T P Chandrasekharan murder case. It was Thiruvanchoor’s intervention, without bowing to political pressure or favoring anyone, that led to the capture of T P’s killers. Thiruvanchoor completes everything assigned to or undertaken by him beautifully and flawlessly. When Kerala hosted the 35th National Games, the organizational excellence of Thiruvanchoor, who was the Sports Minister then, was praised at the national level.
Began as a School Leader
Thiruvanchoor’s journey began in 1963 as a school leader at Kottayam MT School. Later, he became the Baselius College Union Chairman and the Kerala University Union Chairman. He was always a staunch loyalist of Oommen Chandy. The protest struggles he led while holding the positions of KSU and Youth Congress state president raised Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan’s political graph. While serving as KPCC General Secretary, the 1987 Kottayam by-election was his first assembly contest, though he lost his maiden battle.
In 1991, Oommen Chandy sent Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan to the Adoor constituency in the neighboring district. Thiruvanchoor has remained undefeated in Adoor from 1991 to 2006, and in Kottayam from 2011 onwards. Even in elections where the party and the front faced major setbacks, Thiruvanchoor stood firm without wavering.
In the 16th Legislative Assembly, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan’s intervention will be crucial as political verbal duels intensify between Chief Minister V D Satheesan and Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan. Kerala is waiting to see how a Speaker like Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who does not compromise on laws and assembly rules, will control the House.
(With inputs from MN)
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