Chennai: KPCC working president and Wayanad MP M I Shanavas passed away at a private hospital in Chennai early on Wednesday after a prolonged illness. Shanavas's health deteriorated due to infections after a liver transplant surgery here. He was 67.
The Member of Parliament who represented the Wayanad constituency twice in the Lok Sabha breathed his last at around 1 am.
His body will be brought to Kochi by air on Wednesday afternoon. The funeral will be held at the Thottathumpadi Juma Masjid in Kochi at 10.30 am on Thursday. He is survived by wife Jubairiyat Begum, daughter Ameena and son Haseeb.
The senior Congress leader was admitted to a hospital in Chromepet, Chennai, on October 31 due to a liver ailment. The liver transplant surgery was done on November 2 and his condition worsened by November 5 due to infections.
Shanavas is the son of Adv M V Ibrahim Kutty and Noorjahan Begum of Mukkattuparambil house in Neerettupuram, Thiruvalla.
He started his political career with KSU while he was studying. Shanavas graduated from Farook College, Kozhikode, with MA in English Literature and LLB from Ernakulam Law College. Shanavas served as the chairman of Calicut University Union in 1972, KPCC joint secretary in 1983, and KPCC vice president in 1985. He was appointed as the KPCC working president only recently.
Shanavas won from the Wayanad constituency in the 2009 Lok Sabha election, securing the highest margin among the winning UDF candidates. He took a break from active politics for a while in 2010 due to ailments. Upon his return, he won from the same constituency in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, senior Congress leader and former chief minister Oommen Chandy and opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala expressed their condolences over Shanavas's demise.
