K. M. Mani

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Karinkozhakkal Mani Mani (or simply K M Mani) is the leader of Kerala Congress (M), one of the factions of the Kerala Congress. Mani holds the records of having presented the maximum number of budgets (8) in the Kerala Legislative Assembly as Finance Minister, being a minister for the longest duration in the state of Kerala, having continuously represented a legislative constituency since its inception, and of having never lost an election to the Legislative Assembly. In his tenure as being a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), he is second only to K.R. Gowri Amma.

Mani was born as the son of Thomas Mani and Aleyamma Mani in 1933 at Marangattupilli, near Palai. Mani practiced as a lawyer before entering into politics as an active member of Indian National Congress.

He was elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1965 from the Palai Constituency of Kottayam district, and since then he won all the ten elections that followed in 1967, 1970, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006. He was minister for Home Affairs (April 1977 to September 1978 and again from October 1978 to July 1979), Finance and Law (January 1980 - October 1981, December 1981-March 1982 and again from May 1982-March 1982-March 1986), Irrigation and law(1987), Revenue and Law(1987), Revenue and Law (June 1991 to March 1996).He is also the leader of Congress(M) legislative party.

In the faction ridden Kerala Congress, Mani is accued by political foes as having engineered many a split in the party. He is also famous for describing the Kerala Congress as a party "which splits as it grows and grows as it splits".

Mani is the author of Fiscal Problems of Kerala-Causes and Remedial Measures, The People's Socialism and The Eighth Five Year Plan-An alternative approach.

Mani is married to Kuttiyamma and has a son, Jose K Mani, who contested unsuccessfully from the Muvattupuzha parliament constituency in 2004 and 5 daughters.