Padayatt Kesavapillai Vasudevan Nair (2 March 1926 – 12 July 2005), popularly known as PKV, was an Indian politician and lawyer who served as the 7th Chief Minister of Kerala from 1978 to 1979. He was a Member of the Lok Sabha from 1957 to 1971 and again from 2004 until his death in 2005. He became Chief Minister on 20 October 1978, following A. K. Antony's resignation as Chief Minister.^[7] However he resigned on 7 October 1979 owing to differences with other parties in the United Front. He served in the Kerala Legislative Assembly from 1977 to 1982. Nair was a senior member of the Communist Party of India

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Quick Facts 7th Chief Minister of Kerala, Preceded by ...

P. K. Vasudevan Nair
7th Chief Minister of Kerala
In office 29 October 1978 – 7 October 1979
Preceded by	A. K. Antony
Succeeded by	C.H. Mohammed Koya
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 2004[1] – 12 July 2005
Preceded by	V. S. Sivakumar
Succeeded by	Pannyan Raveendran
Constituency	Thiruvananthapuram
In office 1967[2]–1971
Preceded by	Established
Succeeded by	M. M. Joseph
Constituency	Peermade
In office 1962[3]–1967
Preceded by	P.T. Punnoose
Succeeded by	Susheela Gopalan
Constituency	Ambalappuzha
In office 1957[4]–1962
Preceded by	C. P. Mathen
Succeeded by	Ravindra Varma
Constituency	Thiruvalla
Member of Kerala Legislative Assembly
In office 1977[5]–1982[6]
Preceded by	T. V. Thomas
Succeeded by	K. P. Ramachandran Nair
Constituency	Alappuzha
Secretary of the Communist Party of India Kerala State Council
In office 1984–1998
Preceded by	S. Kumaran
Succeeded by	Veliyam Bharghavan
Personal details
Born	Padayatt Kesavapillai Vasudevan Nair (1926-03-02)2 March 1926 Kidangoor, Travancore, British India
Died	12 July 2005(2005-07-12) (aged 79) New Delhi, India
Political party	Communist Party of India
Spouse	K. P. Lakshmi Kutty Amma
Children	3 sons and 2 daughters
Alma mater	Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram

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He was the founder-president of the Travancore Students Union, All India Students Federation (AISF) and All India Youth Federation (AIYF). He remained with the CPI after the split in the Communist movement in 1964 and was elected the party's State secretary in 1982.

He was born in Kidangoor village in Kottayam, Kerala to a Hindu Nair family of Kesava Pillai and Nanikutty Amma. He was their eldest child. He began his political life as a student activist while studying in Union Christian College, Aluva, when the whole country was in upheaval having entered the final phase of freedom struggle. After graduating in Physics he went on to study law at Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram. PKV had his baptism in politics during his student days as an activist of the All India Students Federation (AISF).

Whether in or out of power, he had always led a simple life and had been accessible to all sections of people. An ardent communist, the epitome of simplicity and a crusader for people's causes in his long political career spanning six decades that saw him elected to the post of Chief Minister, four-time MP and leader of CPI's Parliamentary Group in the Lok Sabha. He had left a vivid impression in the minds of the people.

From 1982 to 2004, PKV had stayed away from electoral politics, concentrating his time and energy on the organisational front. During this period, he mostly served as the state secretary of CPI.

PKV also served as editor of Janayugom daily, the organ of the Communist Party of India between 1954 and 1957.

P. K. Vasudevan Nair died at 3.35 PM on 12 July 2005 in AIIMS, New Delhi following multiple organ failure brought about by chronic heart ailment and severe diabetes. He was serving as the Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram constituency, elected in 2004 elections. He was cremated at his daughter's house at Pulluvazhy near Perumbavoor.^[7] His wife, Lakshmikutty Amma, who was the younger sister of P. Govinda Pillai, a veteran Marxist scholar and PKV's classmate, died eight years later on 6 July 2013. The couple are survived by their three sons and two daughters.