Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and former Minister V.J. Thankappan (87) died due to age-related ailments on Saturday.
Besides having served as Minister for Local Administration in the E.K. Nayanar Cabinet during 1987-91, he served as pro tem Speaker of the Assembly in 2006.
Nemom seat
Hailing from Aralumoodu, near Neyyattinkara, Mr. Thankappan had represented the Nemom constituency three times and Neyyattinkara constituency once in the Assembly. He was elected to the Assembly for the first time in 1983.
He had also been the chairperson of the Neyyattinkara municipality. He is survived by wife and three children.
Condoling the death, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Mr. Thankappan had played a key role in successfully implementing decentralisation in the State during his term as Local Administration Minister. CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan also condoled the death.