A K Saseendran studied Ayurveda, but did not sit for the diploma examination. Nonetheless, he knows the best medicines to win people's hearts.
A resident of Mele Chovva in Kannur, Saseendran, 75, began his political career through Kerala Students' Union (KSU), the students' wing of the Congress, and went on to become the organization's state secretary. Later, he became the state president of the Youth Congress.
Following the 1978 split in the Congress, Saseendran accompanied A K Antony to the Left camp. He successfully contested the polls from Peringalam in 1980. He was among the six MLAs who had opposed Antony’s decision to withdraw support to the Left.
Most of those MLAs returned to Congress at different points of time. Saseendran, however, stayed with the Left.
He won Edakkad on a Congress (S) ticket in 1982, but was defeated in 1987 and 1991 from Kannur. In 2001, Congress (S) merged with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Saseendran remained in the NCP even when Ramachandran Kadannappally left the party to revive Congress (S).
Saseendran won the Assembly polls from Balussery in 2006, and followed it up with another win from Elathur. He held the transport portfolio in the first Pinarayi cabinet. He had to quit the cabinet after a television channel aired his explicit audio clip. He returned to the cabinet after being acquitted by a court. Anitha is his wife. Varun Saseendran is their son.
