Kerala: Veteran Congress leader Vakkom Purushothaman passes away

Veteran Congress leader Vakkom Purushuthoman passed away due to age-related illness at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. He was 95.

Purushothaman, a law graduate from the Aligarh Muslim University, started his political career as a ward member at his panchayat in the capital city outskirts.

The veteran Congress leader had been a five-time legislator and twice elected to the Lok Sabha.

He was a state cabinet minister on three different occasions and Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly on two occasions.

Purushothaman had also served as Governor of Mizoram and Tripura besides Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Unlike many of his peers in his party, he was a stickler for rules which came to the fore on few occasions, especially when he was the Speaker.

After 2014, when he quit as Governor of Tripura, he retired from active politics and was mostly confined to his home, in Thiruvananthapuram.

The last rites would be held in his home village near Attingal in the capital city outskirts on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the demise of the veteran Congress leader whom he described as a very efficient and able administrator who displayed his caliber in all the posts he held.