Kannoth Karunakaran (5 July 1918 – 23 December 2010) was an Indian politician who served as the 5th Chief Minister of Kerala in 1977, from 1981 to March 1982, from May 1982 to 1987 and again from 1991 to 1995. He is the founder of the United Democratic Front (UDF) coalition, which is the current political alliance in Kerala led by INC.

K. Karunakaran was close to former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. At the helm of his career in the 1980s and 1990s, he enjoyed considerable access, confidence and control at All India Congress Committee to a point that he had an important role in helping P. V. Narasimha Rao become the Prime Minister of India. He played a crucial role in nurturing and strengthening INC into a strong political party in Kerala and enjoyed mass support of not just the party workers but the entire anti-communist solidarity that was active in Kerala. He is also credited with bringing development in multiple sectors in Kerala by spearheading key projects. The Kochi airport, the country’s first international airport in the private sector, the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, the rainbow bridge at Kochi marine drive, the Nehru international stadium at Kochi were some of his contributions.