Former two-time Kerala Assembly Speaker Vakkom Purushothaman, 96, passed away at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.
Doctors attributed the cause of death to respiratory illness and advanced age. Leaders across the political spectrum condoled the death of Mr. Purushothaman. They remembered his commendable public service record as Minister, Speaker, and later as Governor of Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan recalled Mr. Purushothaman’s “efficiency and vision” in public service.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the Congress lost one of its tallest leaders who made a mark as a parliamentarian and administrator. “He put an indelible stamp on every office he occupied,” Mr. Vijayan said.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said no extraneous pressure or political compulsions could sway Mr. Purushothaman in his pursuit of public service. “As Speaker, he encouraged backbenchers in the Assembly,” he said.
KPCC president K.Sudhakaran, MP, said Kerala had lost a firm administrator and the Congress a veteran leader and guiding light. He announced a three-day mourning and said Mr. Purushothaman’s mortal remains would lie in state at the KPCC headquarters at Indira Bhavan for the public to pay homage on Tuesday. Later, the body would be taken in a funeral procession and kept at Kacheripadi in Attingal for people to pay their last respects. Mr. Purushothaman had represented the Assembly constituency for several terms. Later, the mortal remains would be cremated at his house at Vakkom with State honours.
Mr. Purushothaman commenced his political life as a Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) activist in 1952. He won a seat in the Vakkom panchayat council on the party ticket.
When practising as lawyer at the Thiruvananthapuram Bar, former Chief Minister R.Shankar spotted Mr. Purushothaman’s flair for politics and persuaded him to quit the RSP and join the Congress.
However, his maiden innings in electoral politics was a failure. He lost consecutive Assembly elections in 1967 and 1969. However, he tasted victory by defeating CPI(M) veteran Kattayikonam Sreedharan and bagged the Attingal Assembly constituency for the Congress in 1970.
He served as Minister for Agriculture and Labour in the Achutha Menon government (1971-77) and drafted laws ensuring the welfare of farm and headload workers.
Mr. Purushothaman retained Attingal for Congress in the 1977, 1980 and 1982 State elections. After the ‘A’ group split from the Congress, he joined as Health and Tourism Minister in the 1980 E.K. Nayanar government. He aligned himself with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
In 1984, he bagged the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency for the Congress by defeating CPI(M) leader Susheela Gopalan.
Mr. Purushothaman bid farewell to electoral politics and assumed charge as Lieutenant Governor in Andaman Nicobar. He later served as Mizoram and Meghalaya Governor.
His wife, Lilly Purushothaman, daughter Bindu and son Binu Purushothaman survive him. His eldest son Biju Purushothaman died earlier.
