K. C. Venugopal

Some Lesser Known Facts About K. C. Venugopal

• During his college days, he played volleyball and represented Payyanur College and Calicut University in University-level matches.

• His political journey began when he got involved in the Student Movement of the Indian National Congress. He held several positions within the Kerala Students Union (KSU), starting as a Unit President. Later on, he took on roles such as Thaliparamba Taluk Treasurer, Kannur District Secretary, State Vice President, and State Treasurer.

  

• Venugopal became the State President of KSU in 1988 and held the position for five years. He served as a University Union Councillor for four years, and later, he became a Kerala University Senate Member. From 1993 to 2000, he was the Youth Congress State President.

  

• In 1991, he became famous when his mentor K. Karunakaran, who was the Chief Minister of Kerala, helped him get a Lok Sabha ticket from Kasaragod. Venugopal, who was 28 years old and serving as the president of the party’s student wing, lost the election by a small margin.

  

• In 1995, he had a public disagreement with Karunakaran over the suspension of Arjun Singh from their political party. While Karunakaran and others in their party held differing views, Venugopal openly supported Singh, causing a rift between him and Karunakaran.

  

• In March 1995, when A.K. Antony took over as Chief Minister, Venugopal had already distanced himself and aligned with a group of young leaders called the “third group.” Led by Ramesh Chennithala, G. Karthikeyan, and M.I. Shanavas, they identified as reformists or correctionists (“Thiruthalvaadi” in Malayalam). Their objective was to challenge the authority and dominance of both Karunakaran and Antony within the party.

  

• He won his first election to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1996 and went on to retain his seat in the following elections in 2001 and 2006. He also served as a minister in the government led by Oommen Chandy in 2004.

  

• In 2009, he became an MP in the Lok Sabha. By 2011, he had been appointed as a Union Minister of State. This appointment was significant as it aimed to garner support from the Nair community to which Venugopal belonged.

• Between 2009 and 2014, during the second term of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government, he held important positions as the Minister of State for Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Power.

  

• Despite the Congress party’s overall poor performance in the 2014 elections, he emerged as one of the successful MPs from Kerala who secured their seats. As a result, he was entrusted with the role of the party’s whip.

  

• He took on the role of General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on 29 April 2017. He convinced Rahul Gandhi to run for the 2019 elections from Wayanad in Kerala. Despite losing in Amethi, Rahul emerged as the winner in Kerala, showcasing Venugopal’s understanding of the political landscape in Uttar Pradesh.

  

• He showcased his exceptional leadership skills by effectively managing the Congress War Rooms during several elections. His notable achievements include being elected as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan on 19 June 2020. Moreover, his dynamic leadership led to a remarkable victory for the Congress party in the 2023 Karnataka state elections, securing a substantial majority of 135 seats out of 224.
  

  

  

• In an interview, he said Rahul Gandhi is the most handsome MP (Member of Parliament), Hema Malini is the prettiest actress, Arun Jaitley speaks well, and Venkaiah Naidu gets angry easily. ^[9]YouTube – Sansad TV

• His father’s preference was for him to be an engineer or government employee, while his mother supported his aspiration to become a politician.

  

• He enjoys singing and watching films with his wife during breaks from political campaigns.