R. S. Unni

{{Short description|Indian politician}} {{EngvarB|date=June 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} '''R.S. Unni''' (18 February 1925 – 17 February 1999) was an Indian politician and trade unionist. He served as a Central Committee member of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and president of the United Trade Union Congress (UTUC). A state legislator for decades, he served as a Kerala state government minister in the 1980s.<ref name="ns2">Kerala Legislative Assembly. ''[http://www.niyamasabha.org/codes/Ministers%20Book%20Final.pdf Ministers' Book – Down the Years]''</ref>

==Student and labour activism== R.S. Unni was the son of Raman Unni. In his youth he was active in student politics, through the Travancore Congress.<ref name="ns"/> He served as the general secretary of the Kerala Students Congress. He was jailed for his role in anti-government protests in Travancore. He joined the Kerala Socialist Party in 1948, and became a member of the State Executive Committee of the party.<ref name="ns"/><ref name="ns2"/> He joined the RSP in 1950.<ref name="ns"/> A prominent trade unionist, he was noted for leading 'about 21 trade unions' as of the early 1970s.<ref name="Nossiter1982">{{cite book|author=Thomas Johnson Nossiter|title=Communism in Kerala: A Study in Political Adaptation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8CSQUxVjjWQC&pg=PA61|date=1 January 1982|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-04667-2|pages=61, 64}}</ref>

==Legislator== He contested the 1960 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, standing as a candidate in the Thrrikkadavur constituency. He obtained 17,309 votes (16.7%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1960/StatRep_Kerala_1960.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1960 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF KERALA]''</ref> In 1965 he contested the Eravipuram assembly seat, finishing in second place with 18,458 votes (35.55%). He lost the seat by a margin of 656 votes.<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1965/StatisticalReport%201965%20Kerala.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1965 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF KERALA]''</ref> He won the Eravipuram seat in the 1967 assembly election, obtaining 31,083 votes (63.41%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1967/Statistical%20Report%20Kerala%201967.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1967 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF KERALA]''</ref>

==Deputy Speaker== R.S. Unni retained the Eravipuram seat in the 1970 election, obtaining 35,631 votes (62.53%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1970/StatiRep_KL_70.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1970 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF KERALA]''</ref> He was the Deputy Speaker of the legislative assembly between 31 October 1970 and 22 March 1977. Between 9 May 1975 and 16 February 1976 he acted as the Speaker of the assembly.<ref name="ns2"/> In the assembly he chaired the Public Undertakings Committee 1970–71, 1973–74 and 1976–77 and the Subordinate Legislation Committee 1971–72, 1972–73 and 1974–75.<ref name="ns">Kerala Legislative Assembly. ''[http://www.niyamasabha.org/codes/members/m713.htm R.S. Unni]''</ref> He again won the Eravipuram seat in the 1977 election, obtaining 39,119 votes (58.52%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1977/StatisticalReporKerala77.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1977 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF KERALA]''</ref> He served as Kerala State Committee secretary of RSP 1978–1980.<ref name="ns2"/>

==Minister== R.S. Unni retained Eravipuram in the 1980 election, getting 45,281 votes (57.65%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1980/StatisticalReport-Kerala%2080.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1980 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF KERALA]''</ref> Between 25 January and 20 October 1981 he held the post as Minister for Local Administration in the E.K. Nayanar cabinet.<ref name="ns2"/>

In the 1982 election, he won the Eravipuram seat with 37,862 votes (48.65%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1982/StatisticalReport-Kerala%2082.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1982 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF KERALA]''</ref> He was the opposition candidate for the post as speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly in June 1982, but was defeated by 74 against 61 votes.<ref name="Gehlot1985">{{cite book|author=N. S. Gehlot|title=Office of the Speaker in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xi8mAAAAMAAJ|year=1985|publisher=Deep & Deep Publications|page=127}}</ref>

==Lok Sabha candidate== R.S. Unni contested the Quilon Lok Sabha seat in the 1984 Indian general election. He finished in second place with 259,371 votes (46.14%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/LS_1984/Vol_I_LS_84.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTIONS, 1984 TO THE EIGHT LOK SABHA – VOLUME I (NATIONAL AND STATE ABSTRACTS & DETAILED RESULTS)]''</ref> He again contested the Quilon seat in the 1991 Indian general election, finishing in second place with 342,796 votes (46.63%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/LS_1991/VOL_I_91.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTIONS, 1991 TO THE TENTH LOK SABHA – VOLUME I (NATIONAL AND STATE ABSTRACTS & DETAILED RESULTS)]''</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:RS Unni}} Category:1925 births Category:1999 deaths Category:Revolutionary Socialist Party (India) politicians Category:Trade unionists from Kerala Category:Deputy speakers of the Kerala Legislative Assembly Category:Kerala MLAs 1967–1970 Category:Kerala MLAs 1970–1977 Category:Kerala MLAs 1977–1979 Category:Kerala MLAs 1982–1987