K. M. Mani

Karingozhakkal Mani Mani (30 January 1933 – 9 April 2019) was a veteran Indian politician and the chairman of Kerala Congress (M), one of the main factions of Kerala Congress, a party born in the Travancore or Central South Kerala region which focussed well being of Farmers. He holds the records of having presented the maximum number of budgets (thirteen) in the Kerala Legislative Assembly as Finance Minister and also as the longest-serving member of Kerala Assembly. He holds the distinction of having been the longest-serving minister in the Government of Kerala to date and for having continuously represented Pala legislative constituency since its inception in 1965 until his death in 2019.

K. M. Mani
Minister of Finance and Law
In office
18 May 2011 – 10 November 2015
Preceded byThomas Isaac (Finance), M. Vijayakumar (Law)
Succeeded byOommen Chandy
Member of Legislative Assembly
In office
1965 – 9 April 2019
Preceded byEstablished
Succeeded byMani C. Kappan
ConstituencyPala
Minister of Revenue and Law
In office
May 2001 – May 2006
Preceded byK. E. Ismail
Succeeded byK. P. Rajendran (Revenue), M. Vijayakumar (Law)
Minister of Revenue and Law
In office
June 1991 – May 1996
Preceded byP. S. Sreenivasan
Succeeded byK. E. Ismail
Minister of Revenue and Law
In office
1987–1987
Minister of Irrigation and Law
In office
1987–1987
Preceded byM. P. Gangadharan
Succeeded byBaby John
Minister of Finance and Law
In office
December 1981 – May 1986
Preceded byHimself
Succeeded byThachady Prabhakaran
Minister of Finance and Law
In office
January 1980 – October 1981
Preceded byN. Bhaskaran Nair
Succeeded byHimself
Minister of Home Affairs
In office
April 1977 – July 1979
Preceded byK. Karunakaran
Succeeded byT. K. Ramakrishnan
Minister of Finance
In office
December 1975 – March 1977
Preceded byK. G. Adiyodi
Succeeded byM. K. Hemachandran
Personal details
Born(1933-01-30)30 January 1933
Died9 April 2019(2019-04-09) (aged 86)
Kochi
Political partyKerala Congress (M)
Spouse(s)Kuttiyamma
ChildrenFive daughters - Elsa, Annie,Sally, Tessy and Smitha and one son, Jose K. Mani.
ResidencePala,Kottayam
As of 31 August, 2016

His theory of the toiling working class is popular. Pala was everything for him. When elected people find it difficult to win consecutively for 2 times, he won from Pala continuously emerged victorious from Pala for almost 60 years. His major contribution was initiation of KARUNYA LOTTERY which gave poor people free treatment costs from lottery revenue. He stopped all other state lotteries like Sikkim Bhutan lotteries which were a big ground of corruption during LDF rule. He was even invited to the British Parliament for presenting his theories. Based on Kerala High court's comments on Mani's involvement in Kerala BAR license scam and bribery case, he had to resign from the post of Finance minister of Kerala on 10 November 2015. He died on 9 April 2019 in Lakeshore Hospital Kochi due to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD.[1][2]

Early life

He was born to Thomas Mani and Aliyamma. He started his political career by being the Congress president of Marangattupilly ward. He was married to Congress veteran P. T. Chacko's cousin, Kuttiyamma, and has six children: five daughters—Elsa, Annie, Sally, Tessy and Smitha—and one son, Jose K. Mani.[3]

Political career

Mani practiced as a lawyer before entering into politics as an active member of the Indian National Congress. He served as the Kottayam DCC (District Congress Committee) Secretary from 1960 till 1964 when a few leaders in Congress veteran P. T. Chacko's camp in the state Congress led by K. M. George (politician) parted ways with the parent party and formed the Kerala Congress. He was elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1965 from the Palai Assembly Constituency (now PALA) Constituency of Kottayam district, and since then he won all the twelve elections that followed in 1967, 1970, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016. He was minister for Home Affairs (April 1977 to September 1978 and again from October 1978 to July 1979), Finance and Law (January 1980 - October 1981, December 1981-March 1982 and again from May 1982-March 1982-March 1986), Irrigation and law(1987), Revenue and Law(1987), Revenue and Law (June 1991 to March 1996), Revenue and Law(2001 to 2006). He has never lost an election to the Legislative Assembly.[4]

He lost the Chief Minister post of Kerala in 1979 when P. K. Vasudevan Nair resigned. Then C. H. Mohammed Koya became Chief Minister and after two months Mani withdrew his party's support on that government and Koya resigned. Now Mani got another chance to become the Chief Minister, but with the interference of Congress party the Assembly was dissolved in favor of all those who did not wish him to become the Chief Minister.

Mani was not among the founders of the Kerala Congress. In the faction-ridden Kerala Congress, Mani is accused by political foes as having engineered many a split in the party.

He is the longest-serving Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the history of Kerala Legislative Assembly.[5]

In a public function organized at Ramapuram, Palai in October 2009, M. M. Jacob, senior Congress leader, and former Meghalaya Governor said that he advised Mani in 1965 to contest in the Congress party label and if it was done Mani would have become the Chief Minister very early. Again he said that now Mani is fully eligible for the post of Chief Minister.

In 2009, Mani got the P. R. Francis award for the best social worker of Kerala. After presenting the award to Mani in a function organized at Thrissur, Congress leader Oommen Chandy invited him to Congress party. But Mani rejected.

On 2 November 2009, P. C. George's faction of the Kerala Congress decided to merge with Kerala Congress (M). This was a major breakthrough in Kerala politics since George abused and criticized Mani for many years.

On 30 April 2010, P. J. Joseph resigned his ministerial post and declared that his Kerala Congress is going to merge with Kerala Congress (M). Political analysts have estimated that this decision will help Kerala Congress to sweep almost all the assembly seats in Central Travancore region and will create a new diversion in Kerala politics.[6]

On 13 May 2011, Mani recorded his 12th consecutive victory from his home constituency of Palai by defeating the Left front candidate Mani C. Kappen by a lead of 5,500 votes.

On 10 Nov 2015, Mani was pulled down from the position as Minister of Finance and Law Kerala state, as he was accused of being a part of bar bribery scam. He was the Chairman of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on Goods and Services Tax (GST). Based on Kerala High court's comments on Mani's involvement in Kerala BAR license scam and bribery case, he resigned from the post of Finance minister on 10 November 2015, after a lot of heated political debate. The resignation has come after a day-long political turmoil in Kerala capital.

Literary works

He is the author of Fiscal Problems of Kerala – Causes and Remedial Measures, The People's Socialism, and The Eighth Five Year Plan – An alternative approach. He presented paper on India and Globalisation: Asian Economic Community – Need of the Day at the National Seminar held in New Delhi on 22 December 1994[7]

References
  1. "കേരളാ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് (എം) ചെയര്‍മാന്‍ കെ.എം. മാണി അന്തരിച്ചു". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  2. "KM Mani, Kerala's Longest Serving Legislator, Dies At Hospital In Kochi". NDTV.com. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  3. "Jose K. Mani: National Portal of India". www.india.gov.in. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  4. "KM Mani Was A Dominant Player In Kerala Politics Who Never Lost An Election". HuffPost India. 10 April 2019.
  6. Merger does not need UDF's consent: Mani
  7. "(former) Minister for Revenue & Law". Kerala Niyamasabha.
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