Kochi: Former minister and Congress veteran M A Kuttappan passed away on Tuesday night. He was 76.

He was the Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes in the A K Antony government in 2001.

Kuttappan was born on April 12, 1947, to Ayyappan and Kalyani in Mallappally near Pathanamthitta. An MBBS graduate, Kuttappan worked with the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital, the state's health department and Cochin Port Trust Hospital before turning to politics full-time.

Kuttappan spent the majority of his life in Ernakulam. He became attracted to mainstream politics while working as a house surgeon at Ernakulam General Hospital in deputation from Kottayam Medical College Hospital.

Kuttappan has served as KPCC general secretary, executive committee member, state chairman of the scheduled caste cell of Congress (I), Calicut University Senate member, and Khadi and Village Industries Commission member.

Kuttappan joined the Congress in 1978 through the Congress Reform Committee. He represented the Wandoor (1980), Chelakkara (1987) and Njarakkal (1996 and 2001) constituencies in the Legislative Assembly. 

He retired from active politics in 2016 after suffering a stroke. He is survived by his wife Bibi John and two sons.