Thiruvananthapuram: Former Kerala Chief Minister and Congress veteran Oommen Chandy passed away at Chinmaya hospital, Benguluru early on Tuesday morning . He was aged 79 and had been undergoing treatment for cancer since 2019. His funeral will be held on Thursday at Puthuppally in Kottayam.The government declared a two-day state of mourning and a public holiday on Tuesday.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled Chandy’s death, saying, “It is extremely difficult to bid him farewell.”
His mortal remains will be flown to Thiruvananthapuram and will be kept at the Congress state committee office and then at the Durbar Hall of the state government secretariat for the public to pay their last respects
Chandy was one of Kerala’s most popular political leaders and a long-term crowd puller for the Congress party. He had served as chief minister from 2011 to 2016 and from 2004 to 2006. He had also served as the Opposition leader in the State Assembly from 2006 to 2011. Chandy has represented Puthuppally Assembly constituency successively since 1970 until his death, a rare feat in state politics.
Chandy won the Assembly elections for the 12th consecutive time from the same assembly in 2021. Chandy had also served in four Congress cabinets, under veterans K Karunakaran and A K Antony, handling the portfolios of labour, Finance, and Home.
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