E. M. S. Namboodiripad

Chief Minister of Kerala

Term: 1957–1959, 1967–1969

BornElamkulam Manakkal Sankaran Namboodiripad, ( 1909-06-13 ) 13 June 1909, Perinthalmanna, Madras Presidency, British India, (now Malappuram district, Kerala, India)

Died19 March 1998 (1998-03-19) (aged 88), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

Other political affiliationsCommunist Party of India (before 1964)

EducationSt. Thomas College, Thrissur

Elamkulam Manakkal Sankaran Namboodiripad (Malayalam: [eːlɐŋɡuɭɐm mɐnɐjkːɐl ʒɐŋɡɐɾɐn n̪ɐmbuːd̪iɾipːaː——"— ], 13 June 1909 – 19 March 1998) was an Indian communist politician, theorist, author and statesman who served as the first Chief Minister of Kerala in 1957–1959 and then again in 1967–1969. As a member of the Communist Party of India (CPI), he became the first Chief Minister in India not to be a member of the Indian National Congress. In 1964, he led a faction of the CPI that broke away to form the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)).

As chief minister, Namboodiripad pioneered radical land and educational reforms in Kerala, which helped it become the country's leader in social indicators. It is largely due to his commitment and guidance that the CPI(M), of which he was Politburo member and general secretary for 14 years, has become such a domineering political force, playing a vital role in India's new era of coalition politics.