K. P. Unnikrishnan

{{Short description|Indian politician (1936–2026)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = K. P. Unnikrishnan | native_name = കെ.പി. ഉണ്ണികൃഷ്ണൻ | image = K.P._Unnikrishnan.jpg | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1936|09|20|df=yes}} | birth_place = Coimbatore, Madras Presidency, British India<br>(present-day Tamil Nadu, India) | death_date = {{Death date and age|2026|3|3|1936|09|20|df=yes}} | death_place = Kozhikode, Kerala, India | alma_mater = Madras Christian College, Chennai | office = Union Minister of Surface Transport | term_start = 6 December 1989 | term_end = 10 November 1990 | prime_minister = V. P. Singh | predecessor = Rajesh Pilot | successor = Manubhai Kotadia | office1 = Union Minister of Communications | term_start1 = 6 December 1989 | term_end1 = 23 April 1990 | prime_minister1 = V. P. Singh | predecessor1 = Giridhar Gamang | successor1 = Janeshwar Mishra | office2 = Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | constituency2 = Vatakara | term_start2 = {{Start date|1971|03|25|df=yes}} | term_end2 = {{End date|1996|05|12|df=yes}} | predecessor2 = A. Sreedharan | successor2 = O. Bharathan | party = Indian National Congress (I) | profession = {{hlist|Journalist|Social worker|Writer}} | spouse = {{Marriage|Amrita Unnikrishnan|1977}} | children = 2 | website = | footnotes = | date = 23 September | year = 2006 | source = http://164.100.47.194/loksabha/writereaddata/biodata_1_12/2282.htm }}

'''K. P. Unnikrishnan''' (20 September 1936 – 3 March 2026) was an Indian politician and writer who was a Union Minister and parliamentarian of Vatakara constituency.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/The-Stalwarts-Who-Faded-Away/2014/03/22/article2123739.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606224155/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/The-Stalwarts-Who-Faded-Away/2014/03/22/article2123739.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 June 2014|title=The Stalwarts Who Faded Away|work=The New Indian Express}}</ref>

==Early life and education== Unnikrishnan was born on 20 September 1936 to a family from the Malabar Coast.<ref>{{cite web |author =  |date = 3 March 2026 |title = K.P. Unnikrishnan, former Union Minister and senior Congress leader, passes away |url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/former-union-minister-and-senior-congress-leader-kp-unnikrishnan-no-more/article70697853.ece |website = The Hindu |location = Chennai |publisher = Nirmala Lakshman |access-date = 3 March 2026 }}</ref> His father's name was E. Kunhikannan Nair. He was educated at the Madras Christian College, Chennai. He also completed his law at Chennai. In 1977, he married Amrita Unnikrishnan. Together, they had two daughters.

== Career == Unnikrishnan was associated with the Socialist Party and the Praja Socialist Party during his youth. In the 1960s, he joined the Indian National Congress and became a member of the All India Congress Committee in 1962. He wrote articles for the Mathrubhumi and other periodicals as a special correspondent.

He entered into the electoral foray when he first represented Vatakara constituency in 1971 as an Indian National Congress candidate. He remained unbeaten in the next five Lok Sabha polls (1977, 1980, 1984, 1989, 1991) despite switching over to the Indian National Congress (U) in 1980 and later to the Indian Congress (Socialist) in 1984.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=29 January 2015 |title=Who's who: Divergence in diversity|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19791130-gayatri-devi-charan-singh-lok-dal-morarji-desai-karpoori-thakur-janata-party-rajinder-puri-atal-behari-vajpayee-harijan-indira-gandhi-raj-narain-madhu-limaye-sheikh-abdullah-818032-2015-01-29|access-date=5 May 2021|magazine=India Today|language=en}}</ref> In the period 1981–84, he was the leader of Congress (Secular) in the parliament. In the period 1980–82, he was also a member of the Public Accounts Committee. He served as the Minister for Telecommunications, Shipping, Surface Transport in the Vishwanath Pratap Singh ministry (1989–90).<ref>{{Cite web|date=15 September 2019|title=Arif Muhammed Khan visits his old friend KP Unnikrishnan|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/150919/arif-muhammed-khan-visits-his-old-friend-kp-unnikrishnan.html|access-date=5 May 2021|website=Deccan Chronicle|language=en}}</ref> During his tenure as minister he oversaw the evacuation of Indians during the Gulf War.<ref>{{Cite web|author=K. R. Rajeev|date=9 May 2020|title=Foot the bill and bring NRIs home: Ex-Union minister {{!}} Kozhikode News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/foot-the-bill-bring-nris-home-ex-union-minister/articleshow/75635373.cms|access-date=5 May 2021|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|author=Salil Tripathi DILIP BOBB |date=30 September 1990 |title=For thousands of Indians, Gulf crisis becomes a nightmare without end|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/special-report/story/19900930-for-thousands-of-indians-gulf-crisis-becomes-a-nightmare-without-end-813091-1990-09-30|access-date=6 May 2021|magazine=India Today|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Planning Made Kuwait Airlifting a Success: Ex-Minister|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/planning-made-kuwait-airlifting-a-success-ex-minister/713283|access-date=6 May 2021|website=Outlook (India)}}</ref>

His only defeat in the constituency came in 1996. Unnikrishnan later quit active politics, shifted his base to New Delhi and then to his ancestral house at Panniyankara in Kozhikode district, and dedicated himself to reading and writing books.

== Death == Unnikrishnan died on 3 March 2026, at the age of 89.<ref>[https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/states/kerala/2026/Mar/03/former-union-minister-k-p-unnikrishnan-passes-away-at-90 Former Union Minister K P Unnikrishnan passes away at 90]</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Unnikrishnan, K. P.}} Category:1936 births Category:2026 deaths Category:People from Kozhikode district Category:Lok Sabha members from Kerala Category:India MPs 1971–1977 Category:India MPs 1977–1979 Category:India MPs 1980–1984 Category:India MPs 1984–1989 Category:India MPs 1989–1991 Category:India MPs 1991–1996 Category:People from Coimbatore Category:Indian Congress (Socialist) politicians Category:Indian National Congress (U) politicians Category:Praja Socialist Party politicians Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Kerala