Bengaluru: Former Chief Minister of Kerala and veteran Congress leader Oommen Chandy passed away at 4.25 am on Tuesday. He was 79.
The Congress leader, who was unwell since 2019, was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bengaluru. He was taken to Germany in November last year after his cancer aggravated.
The death was announced by the leader's son Chandy Oommen on Facebook: "Appa has passed away," he wrote on the social media platform.
His funeral will be held at St. George Orthodox Church in Puthuppally on Thursday.
Oommen Chandy was born on October 31, 1943 in Kottayam's Kumarakom to K O Chandy and Baby Chandy.
Chandy did his schooling at St George High School Puthupally and pre-university course at CMS College, Kottayam. He went on to pursue BA Economics at St Berchmans College, Changanassery and further on a bachelor's degree in law from Government Law College, Ernakulam.
His political stint began with the Kerala Students Union (KSU) in which he served as president from 1967 to 1969. He was elected as the president of the State Youth Congress in 1970.
Chandy represented Puthuppally constituency in the state assembly since 1970. He was the chief minister of Kerala twice.
He was the CM from 2004 to 2006 and from 2011 to 2016. He served as the Opposition leader from 2006 to 2011.
He was also the longest-serving member of the Kerala assembly. Chandy was elected a consecutive 12 times from Puthupally constituency from 1970 to 2021.
He had been a minister in the state cabinet four times: Minister for labour in the first Karunakaran Cabinet (1977) and the first Antony cabinet (1977-78). In the second Karunakaran cabinet (1981-82), Chandy was in charge of the home department. He served as the finance minister from 1991–94 in the fourth Karunakaran cabinet.
Of the total 12 chief ministers who served the state of Kerala, Chandy held the fourth position for the longest tenure. He had been the chief minister for 2,459 days. Former chief ministers E K Nayanar (4,009), K Karunakaran (3,246) and C Achutha Menon (2,640) top the list.
Since the formation of Kerala state, there have been 970 legislators in the assembly of whom only K M Mani and Oommen Chandy had completed 50 years as MLAs.
Chandy is survived by his wife Mariamma Oommen, and children Maria Oommen, Achu Oommen and Chandy Oommen.