V. S. Achuthanandan

In this Indian name, the name Velikkakathu Sankaran is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Achuthanandan.

V. S. Achuthanandan
Achuthanandan in 2016
11th Chief Minister of Kerala
In office
18 May 2006 (2006-05-18) – 14 May 2011 (2011-05-14)
Preceded byOommen Chandy
Succeeded byOommen Chandy
4th Chairman of the Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission
In office
3 August 2016 (2016-08-03) – 30 January 2021 (2021-01-30)
Governor
Preceded byE. K. Nayanar[1]
Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
In office
29 December 1985 (1985-12-29) – 12 June 2009 (2009-06-12)
Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Niyamasabha
In office
18 May 2011 (2011-05-18) – 25 May 2016 (2016-05-25)
Preceded byOommen Chandy
Succeeded byRamesh Chennithala
ConstituencyMalampuzha
In office
17 May 2001 (2001-05-17) – 12 May 2006 (2006-05-12)
Preceded byA. K. Antony
Succeeded byOommen Chandy
ConstituencyMalampuzha
In office
1 March 1992 (1992-03-01) – 9 May 1996 (1996-05-09)
Preceded byE. K. Nayanar
Succeeded byA. K. Antony
ConstituencyMararikulam
Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Kerala State Committee
In office
1980 (1980)–1992 (1992)
Preceded byE. K. Nayanar
Succeeded byE. K. Nayanar
Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly
In office
2001 (2001)–2021 (2021)
ConstituencyMalampuzha
In office
1991 (1991)–1996 (1996)
ConstituencyMararikulam
In office
1967 (1967)–1977 (1977)
ConstituencyAmbalappuzha
Personal details
Born
Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan

(1923-10-20) 20 October 1923 (age 101)
Alleppey, Kingdom of Travancore, British India
(present day Alappuzha, Kerala, India)
Political partyCommunist Party of India (Marxist)
Residence(s)Punnapra North, Kerala Thiruvananthapuram
Websitewww.vsachuthanandan.in

Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan (born 20 October 1923), popularly known by his initials V. S., is an Indian politician who was the Chief Minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011. At 82, he was the oldest person to have assumed the office. He is affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He served as the chairman of Administrative reforms in Kerala with state cabinet rank from 2016 to 2021. He has served as Leader of the Opposition for 15 years which makes him the longest serving Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Legislative Assembly.

Achuthanandan was a member of the CPI(M) Politburo from 1985 until July 2009, when he was reverted to the Central Committee of the party owing to his ideological dispositions.[2]

Achuthanandan initiated various actions as the Chief Minister, including the demolition drive in Munnar which claimed back acres of illegally occupied land,[3] the demolition drive in Kochi M. G. Road which claimed back the long lost shoulder of the road, anti-piracy drive against film-piracy, his struggle against the Lottery mafia in the state. He was instrumental in convicting former minister R. Balakrishna Pillai on charges of corruption.[4][5] Achuthanandan also took the lead in promoting free software in the state, and especially in adopting free software in the public education system of the state.[6]

VS at NGO state meet 2012 in Kollam
  1. ^ "3rd Kerala ARC".
  2. ^ "CPM drops VS from Politburo". The Indian Express. 12 July 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  3. ^ "Kerala govt cleans up Munnar for tourists". DNA. 10 May 2007. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  4. ^ Iyer, V. R. Krishna (19 February 2011). "Jail for one corrupt politician". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  5. ^ "V.S. Achuthanandan vs R. Balakrishna Pillai on 13 May 1994". Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  6. ^ "Government will popularise free software, says Achuthanandan". The Hindu. 22 August 2006. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 29 October 2011.