K M Mani was first elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1965 from the just-formed Pala assembly constituency. He went on to win the next 12 elections, a feat unmatched in Kerala's electoral history. Pala stood by Mani even in the 2016 polls which were conducted in the shadow of a bribery scandal that tainted him and another minister in the previous UDF government.
Mani's debut as an MLA was a non-starter. It was a hung assembly. He was sworn in as a legislator after he retained the constituency in 1967. He is the only leader in Kerala to have served as a legislator for 50 years. He broke the record of K R Gowri in March 2014.
Mani also holds a slew of other records. He is the longest-serving minister in the state. He has served in 12 ministries. He has presented 13 budgets as finance minister. The veteran was selected to lead a high-power council of state finance ministers.
The Pala MLA identified himself with the cause of rubber planters. His first question in the assembly was about a slide in rubber prices.
