Kodiyeri Balakrishnan passes away

Kochi, Oct 01: CPI(M) politburo and former party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan passed away in Chennai on Saturday. He was aged 69.

He had been undergoing treatment for cancer for some time, they said. A politburo bureau member of the Marxist party, Balakrishnan had served as the CPI(M)'s state secretary from 2015 to 2022.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who postponed his Europe trip that was scheduled from Sunday, mourned the death of Balakrishnan. He tweeted, "The demise of my dear comrade and friend Kodiyeri Balakrishnan leaves me devastated. He was an astute leader who dedicated his entire life to build the communist movement and uplift the downtrodden. He will continue to inspire us in our struggles. Red Salute, Comrade."

A multiple-time MLA, he also served as the Minister of Home and Tourism Affairs in the VS Achuthanandan ministry from 2006 to 2011. Due to failing health, he stepped down as the party state secretary in August this year.

Kerala Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer shared a photo of the departed leader in his Facebook post and said "Gone from our sight, but never from our hearts.

Balakrishnan was the Chief Editor of the Malayalam Newspaper Deshabhimani.