Kochi: Former Deputy Speaker and Kochi Corporation Mayor K M Hamsa Kunju, 84, died on Thursday. He died of heart attack around 9.30 pm at his residence on SRM Road, family sources said.
The funeral was held on Friday. He is survived by wife Nabeesa, a son, and a daughter.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the demise of Kunju. Vijayan recalled that as a legislator, Kunju highlighted the issues affecting the working class in the state Assembly.
Born in 1941, Hamsa Kunju was elected to the 7th Kerala Legislative Assembly from Mattanchery constituency in Ernakulam district and was elected as Deputy Speaker on June 30, 1982. He continued to occupy the position till 1986.
He was first elected to Ernakulam Municipal Council in 1966. He was later elected to Cochin Corporation in 1969 and became the Mayor in 1973. He remained in the post for next two-and-a-half years. He was also a member of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) and Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA).
Though Hamsa Kunju, who entered political and trade union activities after completing his matriculation, began his political career with Indian Union Muslim League, he tried his luck with many political parties. In his political journey, he worked with the Communist Party of India, Congress, Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) and Nationalist Congress Party.
