A. K. Antony

Arackaparambil Kurien Antony, better known as A. K. Antony (born 28 December 1940) is an Indian politician and attorney who was the 23rd Defence Minister of India. He is the current Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha,[1] from Kerala for the fifth term since 1985.[lower-alpha 1] He also currently serves as the Chairman of the Disciplinary Action Committee of the All India Congress Committee,[2][3] Congress Working Committee,[4] and member of the Congress Core Group and Central Election Committee.

A. K. Antony
23rd Defence Minister of India
In office
26 October 2006 – 26 May 2014
Prime MinisterManmohan Singh
Preceded byPranab Mukherjee
Succeeded byArun Jaitley
Chief Minister of Kerala
In office
17 May 2001 – 29 August 2004
GovernorSikander Bakht
T. N. Chaturvedi
R. L. Bhatia
Preceded byE. K. Nayanar
Succeeded byOommen Chandy
In office
22 March 1995 – 9 May 1996
GovernorB. Rachaiah
P. Shiv Shankar
Khurshed Alam Khan
Preceded byK. Karunakaran
Succeeded byE. K. Nayanar
In office
27 April 1977 – 27 October 1978
GovernorN. N. Wanchoo
Jyothi Vencatachellum
Preceded byK. Karunakaran
Succeeded byP. K. Vasudevan Nair
Leader of Opposition in Kerala Legislative Assembly
In office
20 May 1996 – 13 May 2001
Preceded byV. S. Achuthanandan
Succeeded byV. S. Achuthanandan
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
Assumed office
30 May 2005
ConstituencyKerala
In office
1985–1995
ConstituencyKerala
Personal details
Born
Arackaparambil Kurien Antony

(1940-12-28) 28 December 1940
Cherthala, Travancore, British India
NationalityIndian
Political partyIndian National Congress (Before 1978; 1982–present)
Indian National Congress-Urs (1978–1980)
Indian National Congress-A (1980–1982)
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Antony
ChildrenAnil Antony
Ajith Antony
Alma materMaharaja's College, Ernakulam
Government Law College, Ernakulam

Antony previously served as Defence Minister,[5] making him the person who served the longest in this post in India.[lower-alpha 2][6] He has also been three times as Chief Minister of Kerala and Leader of Opposition in Kerala Legislative Assembly.

Early life and education

A. K. Antony was born at Cherthala, near Alleppey in Travancore[7] and was the son of Arackaparambil Kurien Pillai and Aleykutty Kurian.[8] His father died in 1959 and Antony self-financed part of his education through odd jobs.[9]

Antony completed his primary education at Holy Family Boys High school (Lower primary) and Government Boys High school (Upper primary), Cherthala (both are mixed higher secondary schools now and the latter has changed its name to Sree Narayana Memorial Government Higher Secondary school) and completed his Bachelor of Arts from Maharaja's College, Ernakulam and Bachelor of Law from Government Law College, Ernakulam.[10]

Political career

Antony entered politics as a student leader in Cherthala Taluk (Alleppey District) as an activist of the Kerala Students Union under the guidance of M. A. John.[11] He has been an active leader of many strikes like Oru Ana Samaram (Single Penny Strike). He became the youngest president[12] of Kerala Students Union in 1966[12] and also served in the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) before becoming an All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary in 1984. When he became KPCC president in 1972 he was the youngest person to hold that post. He was elected again as KPCC president in 1987, and was defeated by Vayalar Ravi in the KPCC presidential elections in 1991.

Congress politics and party faction

Antony founded the Congress (A) political party when he split from the Indian National Congress (Urs), a splinter group of the Indian National Congress (and opposed Indira Gandhi in inner party politics during the time when she was prosecuted by the Morarji Desai government, splitting off from the parent party with Devraj Urs.) The party was primarily active in Kerala and joined the LDF ministry headed by E. K. Nayanar during 1980–1982. After the fall of the Nayanar ministry, this party merged with the Congress in 1982, but Antony was not given any office until the death of Indira Gandhi. The members of the party have continued as a faction in the local congress afterwards.

Chief Minister of Kerala
See also: First A. K. Antony ministry, Second A. K. Antony ministry, and Third A. K. Antony ministry

On accusations in the Rajan case, K. Karunakaran resigned and Antony was made the 8th Chief Minister of Kerala,[13] becoming the youngest Chief Minister of the state[12][14] at the age of 36 serving from years 27 April 1977 to 27 October 1978.

Again, when Karunakaran resigned in connection with the ISRO case Antony was made the 16th Chief Minister of Kerala, serving from 22 March 1995 to 9 May 1996. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly between 1996–2001. Antony was elected and served a third term from 17 May 2001 to 29 August 2004. He failed to retain power on the first two occasions as Chief minister. In 2004, immediately after the Congress in Kerala suffered a total rout in the Lok Sabha elections amid factional politics and in-fighting within the Congress Party, Antony resigned as Chief Minister.[12][14] He was succeeded by Oommen Chandy.

It was at Antony's behest that the decision to construct the new Legislature Complex was taken in 1977. During his tenure, he introduced the Unemployment Allowance, Festival Allowance for the State Employees, Prohibition of arrack and the steps initiated to revive the economy of Kerala.[15]

Antony carried out Asian Development Bank aided "Modernization of Government Plan". He also liberalised education by allowing several private engineering and medical colleges to open in Kerala and championed the state as an investment destination. He also ordered the closure of the Kerala Coca-Cola plant in 2004 citing drought and the non-availability of drinking water.

Government offices
AK Antony presenting a copy of 'Sainik Samachar' to Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh to mark the centenary celebrations of the Armed Forces' journal 'Sainik Samachar', in New Delhi on 2009.

Union Minister for Civil Supplies
See also: Rao ministry

Antony was a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha between 1993 and 1995 and was the Minister for Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution for a year in 1994 during the tenure of Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao. He resigned on moral grounds as food minister in 1994 when his ministry was involved in a sugar import scandal, despite there being no allegations against him.[12][16]

Union Minister for Defence
Defence Minister AK Antony with 19th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force Norton Schwartz presenting a model of the C-130J Super Hercules in 2011
AK Antony with 23rd United States Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta in 2012
AK Antony with service Chiefs, General V.K. Singh, Admiral Nirmal Verma and Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik at the Amar Jawan Jyoti to mark Vijay Diwas, 39th anniversary of the victory day of the 1971 India-Pakistan war in New Delhi on 2010.

In 2005, Antony entered the Rajya Sabha and was inducted into the Union Council of Ministers as Defence Minister following Natwar Singh's expulsion from the Congress and Pranab Mukherjee's transfer to the Ministry of External Affairs. After the Congress again won the elections in 2009 and formed the government once again under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Antony retained the portfolio of Defence for the second term becoming the longest-serving Defence Minister of India in a continuous stint for 8 years.[17][6] His "Buy and Make Indian" campaign saw the cancellation of billion of dollars in purchases of foreign arms, while at the same time stunting domestic production by restricting investments.

Other positions

He held the post of Chairman of the Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata (2012 to 2014), President of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses and Chancellor of Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (2006 to 2014).

Political party role

In the Manmohan Singh Cabinet, Antony was the senior member of the Cabinet Committees on Accommodation, Economic Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs, Political Affairs, and Security.[18]

He is considered as political guru of Rahul Gandhi.[19]

Antony's political skills and long experience in government have also led him to heading a large number of committees of Ministers in the government, a device that has been employed to obtain consensus within the members of the governing coalition on contentious issues.[20][21]

GoMEGoM
Location of National War MemorialSpectrum Allocation
Reports of Administrative Reforms CommissionGas Pricing and Commercial Utilization
CorruptionUltra Mega Power Projects
Recommendations with regard to Commonwealth GamesMass Rapid Transit System

Issues

Civil Services reform

In order to professionalise the Civil Services, Antony led in decision on creation of a Central Civil Services Authority (CCSA) to oversee the higher bureaucracy.[22][23]

Impeachment of Chief Justice of India
Main article: 2018 Supreme Court of India crisis

In 2018, Antony is one of the signatories[24][25] to impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.

Public image

Antony is known for his incorruptible record and simple personal life[26][27] and his intolerance towards corruption in public life.[12][14][28][29][30][31][32][33] He has assiduously cultivated a public image that turns his perceived weaknesses into strengths.[34] He was ranked among top 10 Most Powerful Indians for the year 2012 by the Indian Express.[35]

10th Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee admired Antony[36] for his simplicity, gentleness and his zeal for reforms and change as a way to ensure acceleration of Kerala's all-round development.[36]

After Pranab Mukherjee was nominated for the 2012 President of India election, Antony was placed as the second-in-command after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Cabinet of India.[5][37]

Wikileaks

WikiLeaks reported that Antony was the only one of the two leaders who criticised Sanjay Gandhi during the 1976 AICC session in Guwahati during Emergency when the latter's political standing was on the rise.[38]

Personal life
AK Antony with his family outside a polling station in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala in 2009.

Antony is a self-proclaimed atheist[39] and is married to Elizabeth who is a Kerala High Court lawyer[40] and is founder of the Navoothan Charitable Foundation.[41] They have two sons.[42][43]

Honours, awards and international recognition
YearNameAwarding organizationRef.
2008 Malayali of the Year 2007 Award. Asianet. [44]

See also

References
  1. "Indian National Congress nominates AK Antony for Rajya Sabha election from Kerala". Indian Express Limited. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  2. "Congress asks members to not make comments inconsistent with party stand". Indian Express Limited. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  3. "Antony to head Cong`s Disciplinary Action Committee". Zee News. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  4. "Our Organisation". 13 May 2017. Archived from the original on 13 May 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  5. "Archive: The Cabinet of India (2012) : The Team of the Prime Minister of India". Prime Minister's Office. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  6. "AK Antony becomes the longest continuously serving Defence Minister". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  7. "AK Antony". www.mapsofindia.com. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  8. "Antony pays respects to his mother on her anniversary in 2009". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  9. "The Times of India on Mobile". 26 June 2012. Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  10. "Antony Takes Over as Defence Minister". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  11. M. A. John, Congress leader, passes away, The Hindu, 23 February 2011.
  12. "Antony: Mr Clean of Indian politics sworn in as Cabinet Minister". Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  13. "A Hamlet For Delhi: Antony". Outlook. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  14. "Brief Profile: AK Antony". CNN-IBN. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  15. "Chief Ministers, Ministers and Leaders of Opposition in Kerala: Biographical Sketches and other data" (PDF). Niyamasabha. 26 February 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  16. No allegations against AK Antony in Sugar import scandal: Possible successors to Manmohan Singh CNBC - 27 May 2009
  17. "AK Antony becomes the longest serving Defence Minister of India at a stretch". The Pioneer. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  18. "Composition and Functions of the Federal Cabinet Committees (as on August 8, 2012)" (PDF). Cabinet Secretariat. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  19. "I consider AK Antony as my guru, says Rahul Gandhi". India Today. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  20. "Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India". Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  21. "P Chidambaram, A K Antony & Sharad Pawar get wider EGoM roles after Pranab Mukherjee's exit". The Economic Times. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  22. "Antony's CCSA plan rattles babus". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  23. "St. Antony's glasnost move spooks babudom". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  24. "Impeachment: The Pawar Factor". Rediffmail. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  25. "Manmohan, Chidambaram not among signatories to impeachment notice against CJI". Business Standard. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  26. "'Mr Clean', Antony Has Been the Trouble Shooter". Outlook. Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  27. "Here comes Saint Antony". CNN-IBN. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  28. "'Saint Antony' shows his aggressive face". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  29. "The Gandhians amidst us: AK Antony". Archived from the original on 15 June 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  30. "A.K. Antony, Congress". Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  31. "India's New Defence Minister: The Dilemma of Honesty or Efficiency". Archived from the original on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  32. "All is not well at South Block, still". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  33. "For the larger good, let bad blood spill". The Pioneer. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  34. Paul, Cithara (26 May 2013). "Come 2014, Antony may pip Manmohan in PM race". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  35. "Top 10: The most powerful Indians in 2012". The Indian Express. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  36. "Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Inaugural Speech at the Global Investor Meet". Prime Minister of India, Archived Division. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  37. "It's official, Antony is No. 2 in UPA-II". The Indian Express. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  38. "A K Antony refused to support Sanjay Gandhi: WikiLeaks". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  39. Balslev, Anindita N. (2013). On India: Self-image and Counter-image. SAGE Publications India, 2013. ISBN 9788132116592.
  40. "Resul Pookutty and Elizabeth Antony enroll as lawyers at Kerala High Court". Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  41. "Navoothan Charitable Foundation". Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  42. "Stanford University Degree Conferral Candidates : 2008‐2009 Winter" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 August 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  43. "Ajith Paul Antony, younger son to debut in films". Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  44. "Asianet Malayali of the Year 2007 award presented to A.K. Antony". The Hindu. Retrieved 28 March 2012.

Notes

  1. AK Antony was first elected to Rajya Sabha on April 1985. He was reelected for second term on April 1991. Later, he was again reelected for third term on May 2005. He was reelected for fourth term on April 2010. He was finally reelected for fifth term and the current term on April 2016.
  2. AK Antony served as Dence Minister of India from year 2006 to year 2014.

Books featuring AK Antony and further reading
  • Kurup, G. Radhakrishna (2004). Politics of Congress Factionalism in Kerala Since 1982. Gyan Publishing House. ISBN 9788178352848.
  • Swarup, Harihar (2010). Power Profiles. Har Anand Publications. ISBN 9788124115251.
  • Bohlken, Anjali Thomas (2016). Democratization from Above: The Logic of Local Democracy in the Developing World. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107128873.
Rajya Sabha
Preceded by
N/A		 Member of Parliament
for Rajya Sabha (Kerala)
1985 to 1991		 Succeeded by
N/A
Preceded by
N/A		 Member of Parliament
for Rajya Sabha (Kerala)
1991 to 1995		 Succeeded by
N/A
Preceded by
N/A		 Member of Parliament
for Rajya Sabha (Kerala)
2005 to 2010		 Succeeded by
N/A
Preceded by
N/A		 Member of Parliament
for Rajya Sabha (Kerala)
2010 to 2016		 Succeeded by
N/A
Preceded by
N/A		 Member of Parliament
for Rajya Sabha (Kerala)
April 2016 to Incumbent		 Succeeded by
N/A
Political offices
Preceded by
K. Karunakaran		 Chief Minister of Kerala
1977–1978		 Succeeded by
P. K. Vasudevan Nair
Chief Minister of Kerala
1995–1996		 Succeeded by
E. K. Nayanar
Preceded by
E. K. Nayanar		 Chief Minister of Kerala
2001–2004		 Succeeded by
Oommen Chandy
Preceded by
Ghulam Nabi Azad		 Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
1993-1995		 Succeeded by
Buta Singh
Preceded by
Pranab Mukherjee		 Minister of Defence
2006–2014		 Succeeded by
Arun Jaitley
Educational offices
Preceded by
Pranab Mukherjee		 Chairman of Indian Statistical Institute
2012 to 2014		 Succeeded by
Arun Shourie
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