Lonappan Nambadan passes away

Former minister Lonappan Nambadan breathed his last here on Wednesday afternoon.

A native of Perambra near Kodakara, Nambadan was suffering from kidney ailments. He was 78.

Nambadan, born to Nambadan Kuripappan and Plamena on November 13, 1935, became popular as ‘Nambadan mash’ when he joined Kodakara St Antony’s School. A six-time MLA, twice minister and a member of the Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2009, his entry into politics was as a Congressman and was elected to Kodakara panchayat in 1963.

He joined the Kerala Congress the next year when it was formed.  He became an MLA in 1977 when the Congress- led Front swept 111 seats and continued to represent the constituency till 1982.  He  became Transport Minister in the sixth Assembly representing the Kerala Congress (M) in the Left Front Ministry headed by E K Nayanar.  His defining moment in politics when the Congress (U) and the Kerala Congress (M) joined the UDF and a  ministry headed by  Congress (I) leader K Karunakaran came to power.  The government was then surviving on the casting vote of Assembly Speaker A C Jose for a quite sometime as both the fronts had 70 members. But Nambadan ended this ‘casting circus’ on March 15, 1982, when he voted against the government which led to the resignation of the Ministry. Later he became a fellow traveller of the CPM and was elected to the Assembly from neighbouring Irinjalakkuada constituency in 1982, 87,91 and 96. 

He became a minister for the second time in the eighth Assembly in a ministry headed by E K Nayanar in 1987 with Housing portfolio.

He shifted to Kodakara in 2001 only to be defeated.

But his winning streak continued as he defeated Padmaja Venugopal by a huge margin of 1.17 lakh votes from Mukundapuram parliamentary constituency in 2004. Nambadan was in news last when he supported Janathipathiya Samrakshana Samithy head K R Gowri’s statement against Government Chief Whip P C George.  Following this Jisha, a resident of Erumely, Kottayam, had filed a defamation case against nine, including Nambadan, on March 25, 2013.

The author of two books is survived by wife Annie, son Stephen and daughters Sheela and Sherly.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com