In this Indian name, the name Vadassery Damodaran is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Satheesan.

V. D. Satheesan
വി.ഡി. സതീശൻ
Satheesan Official Portrait
11th Leader of Opposition, Kerala
Incumbent
Assumed office
22 May 2021 (2021-05-22)
Governor
  • Arif Mohammad Khan
  • Rajendra Arlekar
Preceded by Ramesh Chennithala
Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
13 May 2001 (2001-05-13)
Preceded by P. Raju
Constituency Paravur
Personal details
Born (1964-05-31) 31 May 1964 (age 61)
Nettoor, Kochi, Kerala, India
Party Indian National Congress
Spouse R. Lakshmipriya
Children 1
Parent(s) K. Damodara Menon
V. Vilasini Amma
Education Master of Social Work Master of Laws
Alma mater
  • Sacred Heart College, Thevara
  • Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kochi
  • Kerala Law Academy Law College, Thiruvananthapuram
  • Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram
Occupation
  • Politician
  • Social Worker
  • Lawyer

Vadassery Damodaran Satheesan (born 31 May 1964) also known as VD Satheesan is an Indian politician, lawyer and political strategist who has been serving as a Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly (MLA), representing Paravur Assembly constituency since 2001.

Satheesan succeeded Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala as the Leader of the Opposition following the 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election. He also served as Vice President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee.[1][2]

Early life and career

Satheesan was born to K. Damodara Menon and V. Vilasini Amma in a Nair family on 31 May 1964 in Nettoor, Kochi.[3] He completed his primary education from Panangad High School, under-graduation from Sacred Heart College, Thevara, and post-graduation in Social Work (MSW) from Rajagiri College of Social Sciences.[4] He then completed his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Kerala Law Academy Law College and Master of Laws (LLM) from Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram.[5]

For approximately 10 years, Satheesan practised law in the Kerala High Court.[5] He is married to R. Lakshmi Priya, and the couple have a daughter Unnimaya.[6]

Political career

Satheesan was the chairman of Mahatma Gandhi University Union during 1986-1987. He has also served as the secretary for National Students' Union.[7]

V. D. Satheesan's political debut was in 1996 when he lost to Communist Party of India candidate P. Raju in the Kerala Legislative Assembly elections from Paravur, which was a communist stronghold.

  • Satheesan was first elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 2001 when he was practising as an advocate in the Kerala High Court.
  • In 2006 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, he won the election in Paravur Constituency against K. M. Dinakaran.[8]
  • In the next Kerala Legislative Assembly in 2011, he was again elected by defeating Pannyan Raveendran of Communist Party of India by 11,349 votes.[7]
  • In 2016, he was re-elected as MLA from Paravur Constituency by defeating Sarada Mohan of Communist Party of India by a margin of 20,634 votes.[9] He served as the Chief Whip of the Indian National Congress in the 12th Assembly.
  • In 2021, he was elected to Kerala legislative assembly again for the fifth time from the Paravur constituency by defeating M. T. Nixon of Communist Party of India by a margin of 22000 votes.[10]

On 22 May 2021, Congress Working Committee declared V. D. Satheesan as the Leader of the Opposition in the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly.[11] He is well known about debate against T. M. Thomas Issac.

References

  1. ^ "Congress appoints VD Satheesan as leader of opposition in Kerala". 22 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Muziris Projects Limited Information - Muziris Projects Limited Company Profile, Muziris Projects Limited News on the Economic Times".
  3. ^ Hindustan Pages[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "V D Satheesan".
  5. ^ a b "Members - Kerala Legislature".
  6. ^ "പിണറായി വിജയന്റെ കരുത്തിനെ നേരിടാൻ വി.ഡി സതീശന്റെ പോരാട്ടവീര്യം". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Members - Kerala Legislature". www.niyamasabha.org. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  8. ^ Sushanth. "ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 1957 - 2016(Kerala)". data-analytics.GitHub.io. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Kerala Assembly Election Results in 2016". www.elections.in. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  10. ^ Sudhi, K. s (19 March 2021). "Kerala Assembly Elections | Congress banks yet again on Satheesan in Paravur". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  11. ^ തങ്ങള്‍, ശിഹാബുദ്ദീന്‍. "ഇനി പ്രതിപക്ഷത്തിന്റെ ചാട്ടുളി സതീശന്‍; തിരിച്ചുവരവിലേക്കുള്ള ആദ്യചുവട്‌". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 22 May 2021.