KOLLAM: N Vijayan Pillai, 65, the CPM MLA representing Chavara constituency, passed away early on Sunday at a private hospital in Kochi. He was the first non-Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) candidate to win an election from Chavara, a stronghold of RSP.
Vijayan, who was undergoing treatment for terminal illness since the past two months, breathed his last at 3.30 am.
His last rites will be held at his residence in Madappally here on Monday. Vijayan, son of veteran RSP leader Narayanan Pillai and Bhavani Amma, entered politics at the age of 21 and was an active political worker for the past 45 years.
He became a member of Chavara panchayat in 1979 and served as the member for 21 years. He was known for his astute political moves. He served as the member of Madappally and Thottinuvadakku wards.
He was a close friend of Shibu Baby John while working for the RSP. However, after a difference of opinion, he left the party in 2000 and joined the Congress.
Ardent follower of K Karunakaran
He was an ardent follower of late Congress leader K Karunakaran. He had a brief stint as a member of Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) and later rejoined the Congress along with Karunakaran. In 2000, he was elected as Kollam district panchayat member on a Congress ticket.
However, he left over differences with then KPCC president K Sudheeran over the party’s liquor policy and joined the Communist Marxist Party (CMP) supporting the Aravindakshan faction.
Embraced the Left front
Later, when CMP merged with the CPM, he became a part of the Left front in the state. He was elected to the assembly in 2016 as a Left independent candidate after defeating RSP leader Shibu Baby John by 6,189 votes.
Vijayan, a native of Madappally, has also held positions as the Kollam district panchayat vice-president, Kollam cooperative district bank vice-president and Kollam district human resource cooperative society president.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan and Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala expressed condolence in his demise.
“He was a fellow member of the house who was devoted to the people and the development of Chavara,” said Pinarayi Vijayan. He is survived by wife Sumadevi and children Sujeeth, Sreejith and Sreelekshmi.