Veteran Congress leader C.V. Padmarajan passes away

Veteran Congress leader C.V. Padmarajan passed away in Kollam on Wednesday. He was 93. Doctors attributed the cause of death to old-age ailments.

Mr. Padamarajan had handled Finance, Power, and Fisheries in the K. Karunakaran and A.K. Antony governments. He was twice elected to the Assembly from the Chathanoor constituency in Kollam district.

Mr. Padmarajan also served as the president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee from 1983 to 1987. Born in Paravur, Kollam, in 1931, Mr. Padmarajan began his political life as a member of the All Travancore Students’ Congress during the heydays of the Independence movement.

He later graduated in law and served as District Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor in Kollam. Mr. Padmarajan’s wife, Vasantha, and two sons survive him.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed his condolences to Mr. Padmarajan’s family, friends and Congress workers. He said the veteran leader had made his mark as a lawyer, co-operator, and parliamentarian.

Mr. Vijayan said that Mr. Padmarajan had risen in the ranks of the Congress through sheer hard work and grassroots-level organisational skills. As a legislator and Minister, Mr. Padmarajan was adroit in presenting the government’s case in the Assembly and outside.

Mr. Vijayan said Mr. Padamarajan’s friendships transcended politics. Mr. Padmarajan had insisted that he [Mr. Vijayan] inaugurate the foundation coming up in Mr. Padmarajan’s name in Kollam. The Chief Minister remembered Mr. Padmarajan as a politician who led a simple life and rarely veered from his opinions.

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said Mr. Padmarajan was responsible for acquiring the KPCC headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, known as the Indira Bhavan. “Mr Padmarajan was a symbol of Congress’s unity and resolve”, he added. 

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal remembered him as a mentor and guide to a generation of Congress leaders. He described Mr. Padmarajan as a humanist and staunch secularist.

KPCC president Sunny Joseph, MLA, also condoled Mr. Padmarajan’s passing.