A. K. Antony

A. K. Antony Biography

A. K. Antony is an Indian politician who belongs to the Indian National Congress party. He served as the Chief Minister of Kerala and at present serving as the Defense Minister of India. He is the senior member of the Cabinet Committees on Economic Affairs, Political Affairs, Accommodation and Security. He is the member of the Central Election Committee and Congress Working Committee. He is the Chairman of the Disciplinary Action Committee of All India Congress Committee.

He was born on 28^th December 1940 in Cherthala in British Raj. His parents are Arachaparambil Kurien Pillai and Elikuttu. He studied at Holy Family Boys High School and at Government Boys High School. He completed his B. A. degree from Maharajas College and B. L. from Mahatma Gandhi University. As his father died when he was young, he had to perform odd jobs to support his studies. He married Elizabeth Antony and has two sons, Anil Kurien Antony and Ajith Paul Antony.

He is the former Chief Minister of Kerala. His first term as Chief Minister started on 27^th April 1977 and lasted till 27^th October 1978. Then the second term was from 22^nd March 1995 to 9^th May 1996. When he became the Chief Minister of Kerala in 1977 he was the youngest Chief Minister of the state. He served as the leader of the opposition in the legislative assembly of Kerala from 1996 to 2001. Due to internal conflicts in the Congress party he resigned his position and was succeeded by Oommen Chandy.

He entered into politics as a student leader in Cherthala Taluk on behalf of Kerala Students Union. He was the president of Kerala Students Union, Indian Youth Congress and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and later became All India Congress Committee General Secretary in 1984. He was the youngest person to hold the post of KPCC. He was elected many times to the Congress Working Committee.

He was the Member of Rajya Sabha from 1985 to 1995. He was the Minister of Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution in the P. V. Narasimha Rao government. He won the elections of 2009 and is serving as the Minister of Defense under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. 

Published: N/A

Updated: June 13, 2018