<p>New Delhi: Kodikunnil Suresh, the opposition's pick for the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/lok-sabha">Lok Sabha</a> speaker who will go up against the BJP's Om Birla, is a <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/congress">Congress </a>veteran, an eight-term MP and one whose election in 2009 was declared invalid by the Kerala High Court before being restored by the Supreme Court.</p>.<p>Birla is seeking his second term as the speaker of the Lower House of Parliament.</p>.<p>Suresh, 66, won from the Mavelikkara (SC) constituency in Kerala with a margin of just 10,000 votes.</p>.It's BJP's Om Birla vs Congress' K Suresh for Lok Sabha Speaker post.<p>His first name is derived from Kodikunnil, in Thiruvananthapuram, where he was born on June 4, 1962.</p>.<p>Suresh was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989 and then again in the 1991, 1996 and 1999 elections. He lost the polls in 1998 and 2004.</p>.<p>In 2009, he won again but his victory was challenged by his nearest rival who alleged that Suresh, then a five-time MP, produced a fake caste certificate and that he was a Christian.</p>.<p>The Kerala High Court had declared his election invalid but the decision was later overturned by the Supreme Court.</p>.<p>Allowing the election petition of defeated candidate A S Anil Kumar of the CPI and two others, the high court had ruled that Suresh was not a member of the 'Cheramar' community and thereby, not a Scheduled Caste.</p>.Delhi HC denies bail to Kejriwal, says trial court 'did not apply mind'.<p>The court also held that he was "disqualified" to contest from the Mavelikara constituency as it is reserved for Schedule Castes.</p>.<p>It found that Suresh had produced contradictory caste certificates issued by tehsildars of Kottarakara and Nedumangad.</p>.<p>Suresh, who first entered the Lok Sabha in 1989 from Adoor and subsequently thrice from the same constituency in 1991, 1996 and 1999, was declared elected from Mavelikkara with a margin of 48,046 votes in the 2009 election.</p>.<p>Adoor ceased to be a Lok Sabha constituency after the delimitation.</p>.<p>At that time, Suresh had blamed some sections within his party and opposition parties for filing the case which he saw as a conspiracy.</p>.<p>The Congress leadership, however, stood behind him.</p>.<p>Suresh, who has an LLB degree, again won in 2014, 2019 and the just-concluded 2024 elections.</p>.<p>He has been a member of several Parliamentary committees and has served as the Congress state unit president for Kerala in the past. </p>
<p>New Delhi: Kodikunnil Suresh, the opposition's pick for the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/lok-sabha">Lok Sabha</a> speaker who will go up against the BJP's Om Birla, is a <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/congress">Congress </a>veteran, an eight-term MP and one whose election in 2009 was declared invalid by the Kerala High Court before being restored by the Supreme Court.</p>.<p>Birla is seeking his second term as the speaker of the Lower House of Parliament.</p>.<p>Suresh, 66, won from the Mavelikkara (SC) constituency in Kerala with a margin of just 10,000 votes.</p>.It's BJP's Om Birla vs Congress' K Suresh for Lok Sabha Speaker post.<p>His first name is derived from Kodikunnil, in Thiruvananthapuram, where he was born on June 4, 1962.</p>.<p>Suresh was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989 and then again in the 1991, 1996 and 1999 elections. He lost the polls in 1998 and 2004.</p>.<p>In 2009, he won again but his victory was challenged by his nearest rival who alleged that Suresh, then a five-time MP, produced a fake caste certificate and that he was a Christian.</p>.<p>The Kerala High Court had declared his election invalid but the decision was later overturned by the Supreme Court.</p>.<p>Allowing the election petition of defeated candidate A S Anil Kumar of the CPI and two others, the high court had ruled that Suresh was not a member of the 'Cheramar' community and thereby, not a Scheduled Caste.</p>.Delhi HC denies bail to Kejriwal, says trial court 'did not apply mind'.<p>The court also held that he was "disqualified" to contest from the Mavelikara constituency as it is reserved for Schedule Castes.</p>.<p>It found that Suresh had produced contradictory caste certificates issued by tehsildars of Kottarakara and Nedumangad.</p>.<p>Suresh, who first entered the Lok Sabha in 1989 from Adoor and subsequently thrice from the same constituency in 1991, 1996 and 1999, was declared elected from Mavelikkara with a margin of 48,046 votes in the 2009 election.</p>.<p>Adoor ceased to be a Lok Sabha constituency after the delimitation.</p>.<p>At that time, Suresh had blamed some sections within his party and opposition parties for filing the case which he saw as a conspiracy.</p>.<p>The Congress leadership, however, stood behind him.</p>.<p>Suresh, who has an LLB degree, again won in 2014, 2019 and the just-concluded 2024 elections.</p>.<p>He has been a member of several Parliamentary committees and has served as the Congress state unit president for Kerala in the past. </p>