THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former minister and state president of the Congress party, C V Padmarajan, 93, died on Wednesday. The end came while being treated for age-related ailments at a private hospital in Kollam.
A three-time minister, Padmarajan was part of the ministries led by K Karunakaran and A K Antony. Major portfolios he handled included Finance, Power and Fisheries. For a brief period, he also served as in-charge CM, when Karunakaran went abroad for medical treatment.
Padmarajan was born to K Velu Vaidyan and K M Thankamma at Paravur in Kollam on July 22, 1931. He entered politics through the All Travancore Students Congress and had participated in the Freedom Struggle. He was a practising lawyer and had served as district government pleader and public prosecutor.
In 1982, he was elected from Chathannoor assembly constituency and became a minister in the government led by K Karunakaran. The portfolios were Community Development and Fisheries.
Next year, he quit ministership to become KPCC president. In his second term as a minister he handled the portfolios of electricity and coir. For a brief period he served as finance minister as well.
As a minister in the A K Antony government, he handled the portfolios of Finance, Coir and Devaswom from March 1995 to May 1996.
Padmarajan is survived by wife R Vasantha Kumari, sons Aji and Ani.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled his death. “Padmarajan had made a mark as administrator, parliamentarian, lawyer and corporator. He started from the lower rung and became president of the Congress party. He used to study topics deeply and would present them with the skills of a lawyer,” he said in a condolence message.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan recalled that Padmarajan had an exemplary leadership quality. “The period in which Karunakaran was the CM and Padmarajan the party president was the golden era of Congress party in Kerala,” he said.
State Congress president Sunny Joseph remembered Padmarajan as a true secular and humanitarian public worker. He realised the party’s dream of a headquarters building for the party, he said.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, MP, senior leader V M Sudheeran and KPCC working president A P Anil Kumar condoled the death.