Mavelikkara ex-MLA M Murali no more

Kottayam: Congress leader and former MLA M Murali (73) passed away at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday while undergoing treatment for a kidney-related ailment. He was the state chairman of Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Committee.Murali represented Mavelikkara constituency in the legislative assembly for four consecutive terms—1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006. He later contested from Kayamkulam in 2011 and Chengannur in 2021 but was defeated. He was noted for introducing the most number of private member's bills in the assembly. Born to K P Madhavan Pillai and V K Rajamma of Cherukol, Mavelikkara, Murali began his political career in 1969 through KSU. He went on to serve as KPCC general secretary, KSU vice-president and state Youth Congress general secretary. In 1987, he coordinated the Youth Conference of Non-Aligned Countries in Delhi. He was the first senate member of M G University and served on the boards of KSEB, KSFE, KSRTC and the Kerala Youth Welfare Board. He had moved private bills proposing a Malayalam University and a Kerala Administrative Service. He leaves behind his wife, K S Ramadevi, a retired mathematics professor, and three children. The funeral will be held at 2.30pm on Saturday at his residence in Cherukol. TNN