Keezhoote Raman Balakrishna Pillai (3 April 1934 – 3 May 2021) was an Indian politician who served as minister of the state of

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

in India, holding portfolios such as Transport and Electricity. He was a member of the

Kerala Legislative Assembly The Kerala Legislative Assembly, popularly known as the Kerala Niyamasabha, is the State Assembly of Kerala, one of the 30 states in India. The Assembly is formed by 140 elected representatives. Each elected member represents one of the 140 ...

from Kottarakara constituency in

Kollam district Kollam district (), (formerly Quilon district) is one of 14 List of districts in Kerala, districts of the state of Kerala, India. The district has a cross-section of Kerala's natural attributes; it is endowed with a long coastline, a major La ...

for almost three decades. He was the Chairman of Kerala Congress (B). Throughout his political career, Pillai remained a controversial figure in Kerala state politics. He was the first Kerala minister to be imprisoned for corruption. ''Gandeevam'', a biography of Pillai written by Vrindavanam Venugopalan with a foreword by Sooranad Kunjan Pillai, was published by Viswakeralam Daily. Pillai's autobiography was published by DC Books in 2011. He also acted in two Malayalam movies in 1979 and 1980 - ''

Vedikkettu ''Vedikkettu'' () is a 1980 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by K. A. Sivadas and produced by Thevannur Maniraj and Santha Gopinathan Nair. The film stars Sukumaran, Jalaja, Prameela and Ramesh in the lead roles. The film has musical sc ...

'' and '' Ival Oru Naadody''. Prisoner 5990 is his autobiography.

Personal life

Balakrishna Pillai was born on 3 April 1934, in Valakom near Kottarakkara in Kollam district, as the son of Keezhoote Raman Pillai and Karthyayani Amma. His father was a wealthy

Nair The Nair (, ) also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom hi ...

landlord with plenty of land in the present-day Kerala and

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

states. He was married to Vatsalakumari and has two daughters and a son. The latter, K. B. Ganesh Kumar, is a film actor and politician who served as a state minister during 200103 and 201113. His wife Vatsalakumari died on 3 January 2018 aged 76. Pillai died on 3 May 2021, at Vijaya hospital in Kottarakkara. He was admitted to the hospital a few days earlier owing to respiratory issues and was on ventilator support. His body was cremated with full state honours at his home in Kottarakkara. He is survived by his three children - two daughters named Usha and Bindu, and his only son Ganesh Kumar. Valsala, his wife, predecased him in 2018.

Political career

Student politics

R. Balakrishna Pillai was member of Thiruvathankur Students' Union (which later became Tirukochi Vidyarthi Federation and later Kerala Students' Union).

Indian National Congress

Balakrishna Pillai later joined the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

(INC) party. In 1960, he became member of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee executive and of the All India Congress Committee. He was elected to the

for the first time in 1960 from the Pathanapuram Assembly Constituency of

, as an INC candidate, at the age of 25 and holds the record for becoming the youngest MLA of Kerala.

Kerala Congress formation

In 1964, fifteen MLAs led by K. M. George (including Balakrishna Pillai) left the Congress and formed a regional party called the

Kerala Congress Kerala Congress is an Indian political party founded in Kottayam, Kerala on 9 October 1964, by a block of former Indian National Congress leaders led by K. M. George. The party is primarily active in central Kerala. Initially its main suppor ...

, with George as the chairman and Pillai as general secretary. Pillai won the elections from his home constituency Kottarakara in 1965 but was defeated in the next two elections of 1967 and 1970. He was elected to the

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...

in the 1971 General Election from Mavelikara constituency and served as the Member of Parliament (MP) until 1977. From December 1975 to June 1976, he served as the Minister for Transport, Excise and Jails in the Kerala Cabinet.

Kerala Congress split

After the death of K. M. George in 1976, there was tussle for control of the party between Balakrishna Pillai and K. M. Mani. In 1977, the party split into the

Mani Mani may refer to: People * Mani (name), (), a given name and surname (including a list of people with the name) ** Mani (prophet) (c. 216–274), a 3rd century Iranian prophet who founded Manichaeism ** Mani (musician) (born 1962), an English ...

and Pillai groups. He was re-elected to the state legislature in 1977 and then again in the general elections of 1980, 1982, 1987, 1991, 1996, and 2001, but was defeated in the 2006 election. His victory margin of 37,000 votes in 1980 remained a record for the State Assembly polls for more than a quarter century. He was a founder member of United Democratic Front (UDF). He was Minister for several years starting in different Ministries headed by C. Achutha Menon, K. Karunakaran, E. K. Nayanar, and A. K. Antony.

Punishment by Supreme Court

The government appointed Justice K. Sukumaran to inquire into allegations related to the Idamalayar and Kallada Dam construction projects. Based on his report, R. Balakrishna Pillai and others were prosecuted by a Special Court. The Supreme Court on 10 February 2011 sentenced R. Balakrishna Pillai and two others to one-year imprisonment for allegedly abusing their position in the award of a contract for the Edamalayar hydroelectric power project.Apex court gives one-year jail to former Kerala minister
Sify.com (10 February 2011). Retrieved on 2 December 2011. The

apex court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

bench of Justices P. Sathasivam and B.S. Chauhan reversed the Kerala High Court judgment which had acquitted all three. Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan had moved the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

, in his personal capacity, challenging the verdict of acquittal and the apex court allowed Achuthanandan's appeal.

Filmography

* ''Mukhyamanthri'' * ''

'' * '' Ival Oru Naadody'' * Neelasaree

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pillai, R. Balakrishna 1935 births 2021 deaths Malayali politicians Politicians from Kollam district India MPs 1971–1977 Lok Sabha members from Kerala Kerala MLAs 1960–1964 Kerala MLAs 1977–1979 Kerala MLAs 1987–1991 Kerala MLAs 1996–2001 Kerala MLAs 1982–1987 Kerala MLAs 2001–2006 Indian National Congress politicians from Kerala Kerala Congress (B) politicians Indian politicians convicted of crimes Kerala Congress politicians Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in India