The fifth edition of the Lokmat Parliamentary Awards 2023, held in the capital city of Delhi today. The awards were being presented by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari. Many stalwarts from the political arena were present at the event. On this occasion, John Brittas journalist, managing director of Kairali TV (Malayalam Communications, Ltd.) and former Business Head of Asianet Communications. won the Best Newcomer MP Award.
John Brittas was the youngest correspondent to get the Central Hall pass in the Parliament. He did first hand reporting for the general elections between 1991 and 1999. He also covered the general election in Nepal soon after the death of King Birendra. He was physically present in Ayodhya during the Babri Masjid demolition. He was the first journalist from India to reach Baghdad during the recent war in Iraq. From there, he not only reported for his channel but also wrote for various newspapers. He got the Journalism Educational Award from the Goenka Foundation for his research on "The Impact of Globalization in Print Media". His maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) in India regarding judiciary and the appointment of Supreme Court and High Court Judges was praised by the Vice President of India and Ex-Officio Chairman, Rajya Sabha Hon'ble Shri M Venkaiah Naidu. He acted in a Malayalam movie Velli Velichathil released in 2014 with mixed reviews. This year for the Lokmat Parliamentary Awards 2023, eight MPs have been selected across eight different categories. From the Rajya Sabha, leaders such as Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Dr. Sasmith Patra of the Biju Janata Dal, Saroj Pandey of the BJP, will be honored. From the Lok Sabha, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, former Union Minister Menaka Gandhi, Harsimrat Kaur Badal of the Akali Dal, and Kunwar Danish Ali of the BSP have been chosen for their contributions.