Veteran Congress leader MLA PT Thomas passes away at 70

Senior Congress leader and Thrikkakara MLA P. T Thomas has passed away. He was 71. He had served as MLA four times and also represented the Idukki constituency in Lok Sabha. Thomas had been under medical treatment at Christian Medical College, Velloor where he breathed his last on Wednesday. He was serving as KPCC working president. Known for his strong stand for environment conservation, Thomas had to face opposition from the Church and various other corners for supporting the Madhav Gadgil committee report on Western Ghats.

He had strongly criticized the controversial remarks of Pala bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt's on 'narcotic jihad'. Born in 1950, Thomas began his political career as a worker of the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student outfit of the Congress in Kerala. He held several positions including state president of the KSU, Youth Congress during his eventful political career. He represented the Thodupuzha constituency in the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1991 and 2001. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Thomas won from the Idukki constituency. In 2016 and 2021, he was elected from Thrikkakara.