Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader K.P. Unnikrishnan no more

Pale Union Minister and senior Congress chief Okay.P. Unnikrishnan handed away in the early hours of Tuesday (March 3, 2026). He became as soon as 89. Mr. Unnikrishnan had been present process medication for age-linked illnesses at a non-public successfully being facility in the metropolis for some time. He’s survived by his wife Amrita, and two daughters.

Mr. Unnikrishnan has the uncommon distinction of representing one Lok Sabha Constituency for the longest timeframe in Kerala’s political historical past. He became as soon as the MP for Vadakara in Kozhikode from 1971 to 1996, representing three political occasions. He first entered the Upper Home of Parliament in 1971 on a Congress ticket. Mr. Unnikrishnan later persisted his winning poke in the 1977, 1980, 1984, 1989, and 1991 elections as successfully. Alternatively, he became as soon as fragment of the Congress (U) and the Congress (S) after 1977. Though Mr. Unnikrishnan returned to the Congress in 1995, he couldn’t safe one other term in the 1996 polls when he became as soon as defeated by O. Bharathan of the Communist Web collectively of India (Marxist).

Mr. Unnikrishnan also served as a Union Minister for Telecommunications, Transport, and Surface Transport in the V.P. Singh Cupboard from 1989 to 1990. At some stage in this time, he led the evacuation of over 1.5 lakh Indians, largely Keralites, from Kuwait all over the Gulf War. Despite the Cupboard advising against it, he went to the hiding enviornment of Iraq’s then President Saddam Hussein and efficiently negotiated their return.

Born into a family of freedom warring parties in Koyilandy in Kozhikode on September 20, 1936, Mr. Unnikrishnan became as soon as drawn into politics somewhat early in life. He became as soon as fragment of the socialist streak of conception in the Congress and a staunch supporter of Indira Gandhi in her earlier years in energy. Alternatively, he parted ways alongside with her after the Emergency and following differences of conception with Sanjay Gandhi.