New Delhi, Kodikunnil Suresh, the opposition's pick for Lok Sabha Speaker who will take on BJP's Om Birla, is a Congress veteran, an eight-term MP whose election in 2009 was declared invalid by the Kerala High Court before be restored by the Supreme Court.
Birla is seeking his second term as Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament.
Suresh, 66, won from Mavelikkara (SC) constituency in Kerala with a margin of just 10,000 votes.
His first name is derived from Kodikunnil, in Thiruvananthapuram, where he was born on June 4, 1962.
Suresh was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1989 and then again in the 1991, 1996 and 1999 elections. He lost the polls in 1998 and 2004.
In 2009, he won again, but his victory was questioned by his closest rival, who alleged that Suresh, then a five-time MP, produced a fake caste certificate and that he was a Christian.
The Kerala High Court had declared his election invalid, but the decision was later set aside by the Supreme Court.
Allowing the election petition of defeated candidate A S Anil Kumar of the CPI and two others, the top court ruled that Suresh was not a member of the 'Cheramar' community and was therefore not a scheduled caste.
The court also held that he was "disqualified" from contesting from Mavelikara constituency as he is reserved for scheduled castes.
It found that Suresh had submitted conflicting caste certificates issued by tehsildars of Kottarakara and Nedumangad.
Suresh, who first entered the Lok Sabha in 1989 from Adoor and subsequently three times from the same constituency in 1991, 1996 and 1999, was declared elected from Mavelikkara with a margin of 48,046 votes in the 2009 elections.
Adoor ceased to be a Lok Sabha constituency after delimitation.
At the time, Suresh had blamed some sections of his party and the opposition for filing the case, which he considered a conspiracy.
However, Congress leaders supported him.
Suresh, who has an LLB degree, won again in the 2014, 2019 and the recently concluded 2024 elections.
He has been a member of several parliamentary committees and in the past served as president of the Congress state unit for Kerala.
Birla is seeking his second term as Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament.
Suresh, 66, won from Mavelikkara (SC) constituency in Kerala with a margin of just 10,000 votes.
His first name is derived from Kodikunnil, in Thiruvananthapuram, where he was born on June 4, 1962.
Suresh was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1989 and then again in the 1991, 1996 and 1999 elections. He lost the polls in 1998 and 2004.
In 2009, he won again, but his victory was questioned by his closest rival, who alleged that Suresh, then a five-time MP, produced a fake caste certificate and that he was a Christian.
The Kerala High Court had declared his election invalid, but the decision was later set aside by the Supreme Court.
Allowing the election petition of defeated candidate A S Anil Kumar of the CPI and two others, the top court ruled that Suresh was not a member of the 'Cheramar' community and was therefore not a scheduled caste.
The court also held that he was "disqualified" from contesting from Mavelikara constituency as he is reserved for scheduled castes.
It found that Suresh had submitted conflicting caste certificates issued by tehsildars of Kottarakara and Nedumangad.
Suresh, who first entered the Lok Sabha in 1989 from Adoor and subsequently three times from the same constituency in 1991, 1996 and 1999, was declared elected from Mavelikkara with a margin of 48,046 votes in the 2009 elections.
Adoor ceased to be a Lok Sabha constituency after delimitation.
At the time, Suresh had blamed some sections of his party and the opposition for filing the case, which he considered a conspiracy.
However, Congress leaders supported him.
Suresh, who has an LLB degree, won again in the 2014, 2019 and the recently concluded 2024 elections.
He has been a member of several parliamentary committees and in the past served as president of the Congress state unit for Kerala.
