Kerala

PV Anvar, who hails from a family that has strong links with the Congress, stepped into politics as an independent candidate. Gradually he became close to the Left. Currently he is representing the Nilambur constituency in the Kerala Legislative Assembly, having won the seat in 2016 as an independent candidate backed by the CPI(M) and the LDF.  Anvar, who is a well-known face through social service activities in Malabar and outside the country, also serves as the national chairman of the Western Ghats Protection Committee.

Joice George stepped into the political arena through the High-Range Samrakshana Samiti (High-Range Protection Committee) and he was in the forefront of protests by people from the High Range (hilly regions) against the Kasturirangan and Madhav Gadgil reports. He had been practising as an advocate in the High Court and the Supreme Court for 16 years, and is currently serving as the legal advisor of the High-Range Samrakshana Samiti. He was elected as MP from Idukki in 2014 as an independent candidate backed by the CPI(M) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF). Joice George marked his presence in the Parliament with 545 questions and participation in 247 debates. He is among the MPs who have participated in the most number of debates although he is a first-timer in Parliament.

A member of the General Council of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Dr. A Sampath was elected to Parliament from the Chirayinkeezh Lok Sabha constituency in 1996, and from Attingal in 2009 and 2014. Sampath was a first-rank holder in LLM and a teacher of law. His interventions in Parliament on law-related issues have won much attention. Sampath introduced the most number of amendments to the latest Union Budget (2019-20 Interim Budget) presented in the Parliament. He presented 5 private member bills, asked 366 questions and participated in 192 debates in the 16th Lok Sabha.

KN Balagopal is a Kerala State Secretariat member of the CPI(M) and former District Secretary of the Party in Kollam. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2010 to 2016. He participated in 196 Parliament debates, and asked 762 questions during his tenure in the Rajya Sabha. Balagopal also introduced numerous private member bills which included one to amend the Indian Penal Code.

A member of the CPI(M) Pathanamthitta Area Committee, Veena George was a renowned journalist before entering politics. She was the first woman to become the Executive Editor of a Malayalam news channel. She was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly from the Aranmula constituency in 2016. Veena George pro-actively led relief operations as an MLA when the deluge of 2018 hit Aranmula. She is also known for her work to protect the environment.

AM Ariff is a member of the Alappuzha District Committee of the CPI(M). He was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly from Aroor constituency in 2006, 2011 and 2016. Ariff is a pro-active member of the Legislative Assembly, and is currently a member of the Private Bill Select Committee of the 14th Kerala Legislative Assembly.

VN Vasavan is a CPI(M) Kerala State Committee member, and was the Secretary of the Kottayam District Committee. He is a major face in the socio-political sphere of Kottayam. Vasavan also serves as a member of the CITU General Council and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Kerala state Rubber Co-operative Limited (Rubco). He represented the Kottayam constituency in the Kerala Legislative Assembly during 2006-11.

P Rajeev is a Kerala State Secretariat member of the CPI(M), and former District Secretary of the Party in Ernakulam. A former Rajya Sabha member, Rajeev is the Chief Editor of Deshabhimani newspaper. He was the first one to raise the issue of the draconian provisions in Section 66(A) of the IT Act, which was later struck down.

A popular actor in the Malayalam film industry, Innocent was elected to the Parliament in 2014 from Chalakudy. He got approval for projects worth 110% of funds under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS). He has carried out development works worth Rs. 1750 crore in the constituency.

MB Rajesh is a member of the CPI(M) Kerala State Committee. He has worked as the all India Joint Secretary of SFI and as the all India President of DYFI. Elected to the Lok Sabha from Palakkad in the 2009 and 2014 general elections, Rajesh is known for pro-active interventions in Parliament. He was the first person to voice Kerala’s demand to establish an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Palakkad in Parliament (through a Special Mention on 29 November 2012). He pro-actively followed it up in the Lok Sabha. Rajesh actively raised the demand to set up a coach factory in Palakkad, and played a leading role in forcing the BJP government to backtrack from privatising the Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML). He has participated in 196 debates, and have asked 561 questions in the 16th Lok Sabha.