Yadu Krishnan returns: Congress turns KSRTC driver's comeback into Kerala political statement
Synopsis
Yadu Krishnan lost his KSRTC job in 2024 after a confrontation involving two of CPI-M's most celebrated young leaders — and ended up as a delivery boy. Now, backed by Congress MLA Chandy Oommen, he returns as a driver at the very Assembly where one of those leaders no longer holds a seat. Kerala politics rarely does coincidence.
Key Takeaways
Yadu Krishnan will drive the Kerala Legislative Assembly bus from 19 June , after being appointed on the recommendation of Congress MLA Chandy Oommen .
He lost his temporary KSRTC job in 2024 following a roadside confrontation involving CPI-M leaders Arya Rajendran and K.M.
After his dismissal, Yadu Krishnan reportedly worked as a delivery boy before this appointment.
Arya Rajendran was not renominated for the 2025 local body polls; the CPI-M lost the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation to the BJP after over four decades.
Sachin Dev lost his Assembly seat to a Congress candidate in the April 2026 Kerala elections.
The Congress is projecting the appointment as a gesture of support for someone it says was unfairly treated by those in power.
Two years after a roadside confrontation with Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) leaders upended his livelihood, former Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) temporary driver Yadu Krishnan is set to return to the wheel — this time at the Kerala Legislative Assembly in Thiruvananthapuram. The appointment, effective 19 June, has handed the Indian National Congress (Congress) a ready-made political narrative against its principal rival.
How the Appointment Came Through
Congress MLA Chandy Oommen, son of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, wrote to the newly elected Assembly Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, recommending Yadu Krishnan for the post. The Speaker acted on the request, appointing him as a temporary driver at the Legislature. From 19 June onwards, Yadu Krishnan will drive the bus that ferries legislators between their hostel and the Assembly on session days.
The appointment is temporary and restricted to sitting days of the House. Even so, the symbolism has not been lost on Kerala's political class.
The 2024 Controversy That Started It All
In 2024, Yadu Krishnan lost his temporary KSRTC job following a roadside confrontation involving CPI-M leaders Arya Rajendran — then Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor — and her husband, K.M. Sachin Dev, the sitting Balussery MLA. The incident triggered widespread public criticism and a sustained social media backlash against the couple.
After being removed from KSRTC, Yadu Krishnan reportedly struggled to sustain himself and eventually took up work as a delivery boy. His case became a touchstone in Kerala's political discourse around the use of political influence against ordinary workers.
The Fall of CPI-M's 'Youth Icons'
The controversy proved particularly damaging for Arya Rajendran and Sachin Dev, who had been projected by the CPI-M as the face of a new generation of leadership. Arya, at 21, was selected as Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor in 2020 — one of the youngest in the country's history. Dev entered the Kerala Legislative Assembly at 23 in 2021, celebrated by the party as a symbol of youth-driven modern politics. The two married in 2022.
Their political fortunes, however, declined sharply in the controversy's aftermath. Arya Rajendran was not renominated for the 2025 local body polls, and the CPI-M — which had governed the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for over four decades — lost the civic body to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sachin Dev failed to retain his Assembly seat, losing to his Congress rival in the April 2026 Kerala Assembly elections.
Congress Frames It as a Political Message
The Congress has been deliberate in projecting Yadu Krishnan's reinstatement as a statement of solidarity with someone it argues was unfairly targeted by those in power. With Sachin Dev now out of the Assembly and Arya Rajendran sidelined within her own party, the timing of the appointment amplifies its political resonance.
As the Kerala Assembly's next session approaches, Yadu Krishnan's return to the driver's seat — however temporary — will serve as a recurring visual reminder of the controversy that reshaped the political careers of two of the CPI-M's most prominent young leaders.
Point of View
High-visibility political move by the Congress — and it works precisely because the CPI-M handed them the material. The party spent years building Arya Rajendran and Sachin Dev as generational symbols; the KSRTC controversy eroded that brand faster than any opposition campaign could have. What the Congress has done is convert an individual's misfortune into a sustained counter-narrative, one that will replay every time the Assembly bus pulls up during session. The deeper question is whether Kerala's voters — who returned a fractured verdict in April 2026 — see this as genuine accountability politics or opportunistic symbolism. The answer may define how the Congress frames its opposition identity ahead of the next electoral cycle.
NationPress
29 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Yadu Krishnan and why is his appointment significant?
Yadu Krishnan is a former temporary KSRTC driver who lost his job in 2024 following a controversy involving CPI-M leaders Arya Rajendran and K.M. Sachin Dev. His appointment as a temporary driver at the Kerala Legislative Assembly from 19 June is significant because it has been backed by the Congress and is widely read as a political statement against the CPI-M.
How did Yadu Krishnan get the Kerala Assembly driver job?
Congress MLA Chandy Oommen wrote to Assembly Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan recommending Yadu Krishnan for the post. The Speaker acted on the recommendation and appointed him as a temporary driver, effective 19 June, for session days.
What happened to Arya Rajendran and K.M. Sachin Dev after the KSRTC controversy?
Both leaders, once celebrated as the CPI-M's youth icons, saw their political careers take a significant hit. Arya Rajendran was not renominated for the 2025 local body polls, and the CPI-M lost the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation — which it had held for over four decades — to the BJP. Sachin Dev lost his Balussery Assembly seat to a Congress candidate in the April 2026 elections.
Is Yadu Krishnan's Assembly appointment permanent?
No. The appointment is temporary and limited to days when the Kerala Legislative Assembly is in session. Yadu Krishnan will drive the bus that transports legislators between their hostel and the Assembly building on those days.
Why is the Congress projecting Yadu Krishnan's return as a political message?
The Congress argues that Yadu Krishnan was unfairly removed from his KSRTC job due to political influence wielded by CPI-M leaders. By facilitating his return through the Assembly, the party is framing the move as a correction of that injustice — and using it to draw a contrast with the CPI-M's record in government.
