Kodikunnil Suresh

Kodikunnil Suresh (born 4 June 1962) is an Indian politician and Congress Working Committee Member (Special Invitee). He is the working-president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). He filed his nomination for Loksabha Speaker post as the candidate of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance and contested the 2024 Lok Sabha Speaker Election. He is the chief Whip of Congress Parliamentary Party in Loksabha. He was a former Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment. He is a member of the Eighteenth Lok Sabha representing Mavelikara in Kerala. He has been elected as the member of Lok Sabha for the eighth time. He has also served as the Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

Early life and education
He was born in Kodikunnil, Thiruvananthapuram district to a poor family, as the youngest son of Kunjan and Thankamma. He did his pre-degree from Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram and graduation in LL.B from Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram.

Political career
He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1989 and thereafter he won consecutively in the 1991,1996 and 1999 General Elections to the Lok Sabha from Adoor constituency for four straight terms.

However he was defeated in the 1998 and 2004 general elections.

Kodikunnil served as the member of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and member of All India Congress Committee. He also serves as Kerala Pradesh congress committee General Secretary, DCC President Kollam.

In the general election to the Lok Sabha in 2009, he contested from Mavelikara Lok Sabha constituency and defeated R. S. Anil of the Communist Party of India with a margin of 48,048 votes.

On 19 September 2018, he was appointed as working-president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

He continued to win in 2009 Indian general election, 2014 Indian general election, 2019 Indian general election and 2024 Indian general election from Mavelikara Lok Sabha constituency and is currently the longest serving Lok Sabha MP as he has remained MP for 29 years, winning the elections 8 times. The position of pro tem speaker, assigned for administering the oath taking ceremony of the elected MPs, is traditionally given to the senior most member. However, this tradition was broken in 2024 after Bhartruhari Mahtab was elected as pro tem speaker. In response, the INDIA alliance nominated K. Suresh as candidate for post of speaker, triggering an election for the post for the first time since independence.

Controversies
His victory in the 2009 general election was declared void by the Kerala High Court over the allegation that his caste certificate was fake, and that he was a Christian. This verdict was later reversed by the Supreme Court of India.