Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 28 (IANS): Country's longest serving Defence Minister A.K. Antony turned 81 on Tuesday.

After heading the Defence portfolio for eight years till 2014, Anotny wrote himself into record books.

Currently, he is into his fifth term in the Rajya Sabha and has already announced that once his term ends next year, he will return to settle at his home in the state capital city.

A three-time Chief Minister of Kerala, he, however, has not been able to complete a full term of five years and the closest he came was when he led the party as Leader of Opposition here from 1996 to 2001. It was under his leadership that the Congress-led UDF rode to a stellar victory at the 2001 polls, but factional dispute with K. Karunakaran and the party getting wiped out in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls saw him quit.

In 2005, he was elected to the Upper house and since then Delhi was his political ground and has been completely detached from State politics, even though the party High Command always takes his word, when it comes to taking crucial decisions.

He is best known for his spartan lifestyle and a stickler to rules.