Kodiyeri Balakrishnan


Kodiyeri Balakrishnan is a political leader from Kerala, India. He has been Secretary of the Communist Party of India Kerala State Committee since 2015, the highest office within the party at the state level.
During the year 2001-2006 and from 2011-2016 in the United Democratic Front government in Kerala, he was the deputy opposition leader of the Left Democratic Front. During the 2006-2011 LDF government in Kerala, he was the Minister of Home Affairs and Tourism.He is also a politburo member of the CPI.

Political life

He entered politics through the students wing of CPI in 1970. He was Secretary of the Kerala State Committee of the Students' Federation of India and its All India Joint Secretary between 1973 and 1979. During the time of The Emergency Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was imprisoned under MISA for 16 months.
From 1980 to 1982, he was the Kannur District President of Democratic Youth Federation of India. At present, he is a CPI Polit Bureau Member and CPI Parliamentary Party Deputy Leader. He was elected as an MLA to Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1982, 1987, 2001, 2006 and 2011 from Thalassery.
On 23 February 2015, he was elected as the Secretary of the Communist Party of India Kerala State Committee.He was Minister of Home affairs of Kerala during the time of V S Achudanandan Ministry.

Personal life

He was born in Kodiyeri on 16 November 1953.He studied in Kodiyeri Junior Basic School & Oniyan High School. He became active in politics while studying at Mahatma Gandhi Government Arts College, Mahe. He was active in Trivandrum University College during his college degree days. He married SR Vinodhini D/O MV Rajagopalan Master and has two children, Binoy Kodiyeri, Bineesh Kodiyeri and Daughter-in law, Reneeta Bineesh Grand children, Badhra B Kodiyeri, Bavinee B Kodiyeri.