Ramesh Chennithala

Ramesh Chennithala was born in Chennithala, Mavelikara in Kerala, India on 25 May 1956 in a Hindu Nair family to V. Ramakrishnan Nair and Devakiamma.[5] He studied Bachelor of Arts (B.A) degree in Economics and Bachelor of Laws (LL.B).[6] He is married to Anita.[7] They have 2 sons namely Rohit Chennithala and Ramit Chennithala. Rohit Chennithala is a doctor by profession [8] and Ramit Chennithala cleared Civil Service exam with 210th rank [9]

Ramesh Chennithala started political life from his early school days. In 1970, he became the Kerala Students Union (KSU) Chennithala HS Unit Secretary. He subsequently held series of positions in KSU, namely Mavelikkara Taluk General Secretary in 1971, SU Alappuzha District Treasurer in 1972, Alappuzha District Secretary in 1973, KSU State Executive Member in 1975, KSU State Vice President in 1978, and eventually becoming the KSU State President in 1980.[10]

In 1982, he became All India President of National Students Union of India and later, in the same year got elected as MLA from Haripad Constituency. In 1985, he became the General Secretary of Indian Youth Congress (I) and went on to become the youngest Minister (Rural Development) in the Ministry of K. Karunakaran in 1986 at the age of 28.[11] In 1986, he became the President of Kerala Pradesh Youth Congress (I), Kerala and in 1987 he was re-elected as MLA from Haripad Constituency.[12]

In 1989 he was elected as Member of Parliament from Kottayam Parliamentary Constituency and became National President, Indian Youth Congress (I) in 1990.[13]

Ramesh Chennithala along with the delegates from UAE.

Later in 1991, 1996, and 1999 he was re-elected to Parliament.[14] He received rich accolades for his fiery speeches in Hindi and English during his tenure. In 2001 he became the AICC Secretary with independent charge of seven states and in 2002 with independent charge of five states. In 2004, he was selected to the highest body of Indian National Congress, the Congress Working Committee (CWC).[15]

He was also a member of various committees including Consultative Committee for Commerce; Labour and Welfare Committee; Central Committee for 125th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi; Central Committee for Birth Centenary of Subhash Chandra Bose; Finance Committee-Lok Sabha; H.R.D. Standing Committee; Public Accounts Committee; Coir Board; Civil aviation Consultative Committee; and Joint Parliamentary Committee on Pesticides in Soft Drinks and Fruit Drinks. Other important positions held include - KPCC President, AICC Secretary, Indian Youth Congress National President, President- Pradesh Youth Congress (I) Kerala.

Ramesh giving Golden Trophy to the winners of Kerala School Kalolsavam, Asia's biggest cultural event.

In 2005, he returned to the State politics to become President of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee. In 2011, for the third time, he was re-elected as MLA from Haripad Constituency. In 2014, he was sworn in as the Home Minister of Kerala.[16] His "Operation Kubera" project was intended to stop the reign of illegal money lenders in the State.[17] "Clean campus safe campus" project was to stop the usage of drugs in campus.[18]

He shared the dais with Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan at a joint anti-CAA protest organised by the ruling CPM-led LDF to express his views on the CAA, leader of the opposition Ramesh Chennithala said he has moved a petition challenging the Act. [19] which drew criticism from the then KPCC President Mullappally Ramachandran. However, KPCC vice-president V. D. Satheesan, stated that the protest against CAA and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) was "a fight for a common cause".[20]

Ramesh Chennithala holds the record of being the youngest minister in the state at the age of 29.[21]

• Minister of Rural Development in Third K. Karunakaran ministry from 1986 to 1987.

Then he became the Member of Parliament for a long period and came back to state politics in 2005 and became the President of state Congress Party.

• Minister of Home Affairs in Second Oommen Chandy ministry from 2014 to 2016.

After the 2016 Kerala election, he became the Leader of the Opposition of the state.[22]

A meeting held by the Congress leaders on 29 May 2016, chose Ramesh Chennithala as the Leader of Opposition of Kerala Niyamasabha.[23] Under his leadership the UDF emerged victorious in 2019 Indian general election by winning 19 out of 20 seats in Kerala. This was their biggest victory in the elections after the 1977 election.

• He received PV Sankaranarayanan Memorial Award in 2014.[27]

• January 8, 2019: While addressing media in Thiruvananthapuram, Chennithala stated that his decision to appoint T. P. Senkumar as DGP was "the biggest mistake of my life and I regret the decision,". Chennithala added that Senkumar was made DGP overruling another officer and the decision proved wrong. "We all are bearing the burden of this decision. I took the decision thinking to let a Malayali become the DGP. But now, I regret it," he added. He had earlier criticised the chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan for removing Senkumar from the post on numerous occasions.[28]
• September 8, 2020: Ramesh Chennithala's remarks generated controversy when a journalist indicated about the Congress leaned NGO union links of the health inspector who molested a woman who sought COVID-19 negative certificate.[29][30] Later, he said that his statements were taken out of context but apologized.[31][32][33]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ramesh Chennithala.

• Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee
• News Report
• "Southern mastery - Indiascope News - Issue Date: Nov 15, 1990". indiatoday.in. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
• "Dam disclosures: on the Kerala floods". The Hindu. Retrieved 25 December 2020.