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K. V. Thomas Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth10 May 1946

Age77 Years

BirthplaceKumbalangi, Kochi, India

ProfessionProfessor, Trade Unionist, Writer, Social Worker, Agriculturist, Politician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseSherly Thomas

FamilyThree children: Biju Thomas, Joe Thomas, Rekha Thomas

Net worthRs 1,40,72,754

K. V. Thomas Biography

K. V. Thomas is an Indian politician, former professor and writer from Kumbalangi, Kochi. A long-serving member of the Indian National Congress, he has led

Early life and background

Kuruppassery Varkey Thomas was born on 10 May 1946 in Kumbalangi, Kochi. He completed his schooling at St. Peter’s Higher Secondary School in Kumbalangi and went on to study at Sacred Heart College, Kochi, where he earned a Master of Science in Chemistry. Before entering full-time politics, Thomas spent three decades on the faculty at Sacred Heart College, retiring as head of the Department of Chemistry.

Career

Thomas joined the Indian National Congress in 1970 and became active in party organisation in Kerala. He was a member of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee from 1977, served as general secretary and later president of the Ernakulam District Congress Committee, and was named to the All India Congress Committee in 1984. Over several decades he held a mix of legislative and executive roles at state and national levels.

At the national level Thomas was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Ernakulam constituency multiple times, first winning the seat in 1984 and returning to Parliament in later elections. During his parliamentary career he served on committees including the Committee on Official Language, the Library Committee, the Committee on Subordinate Legislation, and the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament. He was part of consultative committees for ministries such as Civil Aviation, Tourism and Defence, and later for Chemicals and Fertilizers. He also sat on panels concerned with economic affairs, prices, and trade and participated in several groups of ministers addressing fertilizer policy, WTO-related matters, and management of essential commodity prices and food stocks.

In state politics Thomas won election to the Kerala Legislative Assembly from the Ernakulam constituency in 2001 and was re-elected thereafter. Between 2001 and 2004 he held ministerial portfolios in the Kerala government, including Tourism, Excise and Fisheries. His tenure as Tourism Minister was recognised with a Best Tourism Minister award from the Pacific Asia Travel Writers Association in 2003.

Following his return to the Lok Sabha in 2009, Thomas served as Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, later holding independent charge of the latter ministry. He was a member of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs and took part in cabinet-level groups addressing price management and food security. In the 2010s he served on Lok Sabha panels such as the Panel of Chairpersons and the House Committee, and chaired the Public Accounts Committee from August 2014 to April 2017.

Public profile

Thomas has described interests and activities beyond politics: he has worked as a trade unionist, writer, social worker and agriculturist. He published his first Malayalam book, Ente Kumbalangi, in 2004 and went on to author several Malayalam-language works including titles such as Kumbalangi Flash and For The Grains. His hobbies include fishing, music, reading, writing, gardening, chess and badminton.

Thomas is married to Sherly Thomas; the couple married on 12 April 1970 and have three children. Their daughter Rekha co-runs a small consumer-goods distribution business called Sherly’s with her mother. Their elder son Biju Thomas works in Dubai, and their younger son Joe Thomas practices medicine in Kerala.

Public controversies and party discipline

Over his long career Thomas has been the subject of allegations at different times. In 2002 a document circulated on television named him in a purported hawala-related intelligence report; that document was later declared forged. In 2003 a public interest litigation made several allegations about property and business interests; Thomas responded by filing a counter-affidavit denying the claims and describing them as politically motivated. In April 2022 the All India Congress Committee decided to take disciplinary action after he attended a seminar organised by a rival party, a matter Thomas said he attended because it dealt with centre-state relations.

Latest updates

Thomas remained an active figure in Kerala and national politics into the 2020s. He sought his party’s ticket for the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Ernakulam but was not nominated; the party chose another candidate for that contest. In 2022 discussions in the Kerala political sphere included commentary about his role and status within the Congress organisation; Thomas publicly affirmed his continuing commitment to the Congress even amid speculation about party posts.
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Recent Work

Ente Kumbalangi

Malayalam-language book focused on his native village, published in 2004.

2004
For The Grains

One of several Malayalam-language works authored by K. V. Thomas.

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Career Highlights

  1. Joined Indian National Congress in 1970 and served in Kerala PCC and AICC
  2. Elected multiple times as Member of Parliament for Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency
  3. Elected MLA from Ernakulam and served as Kerala minister for Tourism, Excise and Fisheries (2001–2004)
  4. Served as Union Minister of State and later Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
  5. Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (2014–2017)
  6. Awarded Best Tourism Minister by Pacific Asia Travel Writers Association (2003)
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Net Worth

Rs 1,40,72,754

Figures are editorial estimates based on publicly available reporting and may change as new information emerges.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was K. V. Thomas born?

10 May 1946

What is K. V. Thomas known for?

Professor, Trade Unionist, Writer, Social Worker, Agriculturist, Politician

What is K. V. Thomas’s marital status?

Married

Who is K. V. Thomas married to?

Sherly Thomas

What is K. V. Thomas’s net worth?

Rs 1,40,72,754