Kunhalikutty (born 1 January 1951 as Pandikkadavath Kunhalikutty) is an Indian politician and social worker who serves as Member of Parliament from Malappuram Parliament Constituency of the Indian state Kerala.
He also serves as National General Secretary, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) from 2007.
He is a member of Standing Committee on Railways, Government of India.Kunhalikutty was born at Oorakam in Madras State in 1951.
He entered politics through Muslim Students Federation, the student wing of Indian Union Muslim League.
He served as Secretary, Farook College Students Union, Kozhikode.
He subsequently served as Chairman, Malappuram Municipality - at the age of 29 - in 1980.Kunhalikutty was elected to the Kerala state Legislative Assembly for the first time from the Malappuram Constituency in 1982.
He went on to become Member, Kerala Legislative Assembly for seven times between 1982 and 2016.
He also served as Minister for Industries in several Kerala Legislative Assemblies (under Congress leaders K.
Karunakaran, A.
K.
Antony and Oommen Chandy).
Kunhalikutty served as General Secretary, Kerala State, Indian Union Muslim League from 2003 - 2006 and 2007 to 2011.Kunhalikutty is popularly known as "Kunjappa" among his supporters.
He is known for his deep "bonding" to United Democratic Front, the decades-old Congress-lead pre-poll alliance in Kerala.
As per Malayala Manorama daily, "the persuasive charm" of Kunhalikutty is widely respected by his political peers and rivals.
He is also known for his "vast experience in crafting strategic moves", and having "weathered many a storm in his political career".
The Outlook magazine once described Kunhalikutty as "Indian Union Muslim League's backbone in Kerala politics."