Biography
Ganesh Kumar was twice elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly from the Pathanapuram constituency in Kollam district. Born in 1966 with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth, this young man graduated in Commerce from the Government Arts College, Trivandrum, before joining the Malayalam film industry as an actor. He made his debut in the 1985 film "Erakal." A man of great versatility and impeccable taste, Ganesh Kumar acted in a variety of Malayalam films and television serials. In March 2008 he was chosen by the Frame Media gallup poll to receive the best actor award for his role in the television serial "Aliyanmaarum Penganmaarum." In November 2008 he won the State Television Award for his role in the Surya TV serial "Madhavam".
Ganesh Kumar is the son of R Balakrishna Pillai, the grand old man of Kottarakara. Balakrishna Pillai adorned the political spectrum of Kerala for several decades, having been elected eight times to the State Assembly and once to the Lok Sabha. Ganesh Kumar initially focused on his film career and eschewed politics, but when the situation demanded his active involvement, he was quick to rise to the occasion. In fact he took to politics as a fish takes to water.
In 2001, Ganesh Kumar was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly from the Pathanapuram constituency in Kollam District on the Kerala Congress (B) ticket. He wrested the seat from the CPI, defeating his opponent, K Prakash Babu, by a comfortable margin of 9931 votes. This was the first time in the history of Kerala that an individual from the film industry had been elected to the Assembly. (Earlier, industry titans like Prem Nazir had tasted defeat at the hustings.)
Ganesh Kumar soon donned the ministerial mantle, when a court battle stood in the way of his father’s inclusion in the UDF (Congress-led United Democratic Front) cabinet. Balakrishan Pillai had been elected from the neighbouring constituency of Kottarakara, which he had represented for several decades. The father-son duo had in fact made history, by becoming the first such pair to enter the Kerala Assembly simultaneously.
Ganesh Kumar became Transport Minister in the A K Antony cabinet and went on to give a good account of himself. Though only 34 years old and a political novice, he turned around the ailing KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation) in record time and earned a reputation for providing a clean and efficient administration.
In March 2003, when Balakrishna Pillai was exonerated by the Supreme Court, Ganesh Kumar gracefully stepped down from his ministerial post to facilitate his father’s induction into the Cabinet. The smooth transition took many by surprise.
In the 2006 Assembly elections, Ganesh Kumar was once again elected from Pathanapuram, this time realizing an increased victory margin of 11814 votes and defeating K R Chandramohanan of the CPI. The Left Democratic Front had made a clean sweep, winning 11 out of 12 seats in Kollam District and a formidable majority in the State Assembly. The Pathanapuram voters however, stood by Ganesh Kumar, making him the only UDF winner from Kollam District. The development works he had executed during his first term as MLA stood him in good stead at a time when the tide was not in favour of the United Democratic Front (UDF). While many of his former ministerial colleagues, including M K Muneer, P K Kunhalikutty and Babu Divakaran, were routed by lesser known opponents, and his illustrious father was also humbled by a CPI(M) debutante, Ganesh Kumar managed to hold his own.
Ganesh Kumar is President of the Kerala Elephant Owners’ Association. He pursues his acting career, enjoys reading and has diverse interests. He divides his time been the demands of his constituency and his acting profession. In May 2008, he performed a daring fire escape act at Kozhikode for the film ‘Agnisakshiyay.’ His fascination for vehicles includes transport buses and even pachyderms.
Ganesh Kumar is married to Dr. Yamini Thankachi and they have two sons, Adityakrishnan and Devaraman.
