4 min readThiruvananthapuramMar 3, 2026 01:59 PM IST First published on: Mar 3, 2026 at 01:59 PM ISTSenior Congress leader, socialist and seven-term parliamentarian K P Unnikrishnan died in Kozhikode on Tuesday. He was 89. The former Union minister had been indisposed for the past few years.A native of Kozhikode, Unnikrishnan represented Kerala’s Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency for seven consecutive terms from 1971 to 1996, carving out an eventful political career that spanned the eras of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Ram Manohar Lohia, V K Krishna Menon, Rajiv Gandhi and V P Singh.AdvertisementUnnikrishnan was active in early efforts to forge a non-Congress, non-BJP alternative front in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and is seen to have played a key role in bringing various parties together to bring V P Singh to power. He served as Union minister for Surface Transport, Shipping and Telecommunications in the latter’s government between 1989 and 1990. During the 1990 Gulf crisis, he played a key role in coordinating the evacuation of Indians stranded abroad.Active in the socialist movement during his college days, Unnikrishnan began his professional life as a journalist with Blitz in Mumbai in the early 1950s. He later switched to the Congress from the Socialist stream during his years in Mumbai. After becoming a member of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in 1959, he moved to Delhi and emerged as a close confidant of Indira Gandhi.In 1962, he was tasked with managing the election campaign of Krishna Menon from the Mumbai Lok Sabha seat — a high-stakes contest against veteran freedom fighter Acharya J B Kripalani. Indira Gandhi had entrusted him with the challenge at a time when Menon faced intense opposition.AdvertisementUnnikrishnan made his parliamentary debut in the 1971 Lok Sabha elections in what was widely seen as a surprise move. Overruling the Kerala unit’s proposal to field Leela Damodaran Menon from Vadakara, Indira Gandhi sent Unnikrishnan from Delhi to contest from the north Kerala constituency, known for its strong socialist leanings. He went on to win every Lok Sabha election from the seat between 1971 and 1991, despite shifting political affiliations over the years.He stood by Indira Gandhi during the Emergency and contested the 1977 election as a Congress candidate. Following the post-Emergency churn within the party, he joined Congress (Devraj Urs) in 1978. In Kerala, he aligned with the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front and contested the 1980 polls as a Congress (U) candidate and later as Congress (Sharad Pawar) nominee in 1984, 1989 and 1991.His 1991 victory was particularly striking, as he defeated a rare Congress-BJP-IUML understanding in Vadakara. His consistent electoral success often puzzled rivals, who accused him of being a leader who would “land to contest, win and return to Delhi”.His parliamentary run ended after he rejoined the Congress in 1995 and lost the 1996 Lok Sabha election from Vadakara.During the tenure of Rajiv Gandhi, Unnikrishnan emerged as a prominent Opposition voice and was among the first to raise the Bofors issue in Parliament.Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi paid tribute to Unnikrishnan in a Facebook post, describing him as a “fearless parliamentarian and a committed secular voice”. “I am deeply saddened by the passing of K. P. Unnikrishnan, a senior Congress leader and former Union Minister. He devoted his life to public service with commitment and integrity. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and the people of Kerala. He will be remembered with respect,” he said.In his later years, Unnikrishnan stepped away from Delhi-centric politics and returned to Kozhikode, where he spent his final years.