Politician, social worker and environmentalist P Prasad, 51, is a first-time MLA, representing Cherthala, Alappuzha, in the State Legislative Assembly.

He is currently a member of CPI’s state executive committee, and chairman, Kerala State Housing Board.

Born in 1969 at Paramel, Nooranad, in Alappuzha, Prasad had his schooling from CBM High School. He graduated in Mathematics from NSS College, Pandalam.

Prasad entered politics through AISF. His father, G Parameshwaran Nair, was an AITUC leader and a member of CPI's Alappuzha district council.

Prasad had been a member of the AISF state executive, and was also the state president of the organization. He was the additional private secretary to Binoy Viswam, the Minister for Forests in 2011. Prasad was also the manager of CPI mouthpiece Janayugom's Thiruvananthapuram unit.

He had held leadership roles in the struggles against the airport at Aranmula and mineral beach-sand mining. Prasad also led the Plachimada struggle. He had also participated in the Narmada Bachao Andolan alongside Medha Padkar.

Prasad is married to Lyna. They have two children, Bhagat and Aruna Almitra.