Working president of the Congress in Kerala and an MLA from Thrikkakara constituency in Ernakulam district, P T Thomas passed away Wednesday at the Vellore Medical College, where he had been undergoing treatment for cancer for the last few weeks. He was 71.
Thomas was a vibrant, outspoken leader of the Congress, who was known for his fiery speeches against Opposition parties like the CPI(M). His speeches in the Kerala Assembly, where he regularly assailed the current Pinarayi Vijayan-led government and brought forward corruption allegations against officials and ministers, were keenly-watched. He was elected in 1991 and 2001 from Thodupuzha constituency in Idukki district on a Congress ticket. He served as a Member of Parliament, representing Idukki constituency, from 2009 to 2014. In 2016, he shifted base to the urban, diverse seat of Thrikkakara in Ernakulam district where he won two successive Assembly elections in 2016 and 2021.