Kochi: Former Kerala minister Thomas Chandy, 72, passed away at his home in Kochi on Friday afternoon.
Chandy is the chief of the state unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
He had been undergoing treatment for cancer for quite some time.
The businessman-turned politician represented Kuttanad Assembly constituency in Alappuzha district.
Chandy, who started his political career as a Congress worker, became active in social activism with his works for the Daveedputhra Charitable Trust.
He was elected to the assembly from Kuttanad in 2006 as a candidate of the K Karunakaran-led Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran). Chandy was elected from Kuttanad thrice with his maiden win coming in 2006.
Chandy became part of the NCP after the merger of the now-defunct DIC with Sharad Pawar's party.
Chandy was the Transport Minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan government for eight months. Chandy had joined the Pinarayi cabinet after the exit of his NCP peer A K Saseendran in the aftermath of sleaze allegations.
He had assumed office in April 2017, but had to quit in April following allegations of illegal land grab for his resort.
Condoling the death of Chandy, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the NCP leader had made some crucial interventions for implementing the Kuttanad package.
"He had a strong presence in the education sector in Kuwait. He was also keen on matters relating to tourism development," the CM said in a Facebook post.
Leader of the opposition in Kerala assembly Ramesh Chennithala remembered Chandy as someone who donned the garb of a politician even as excelling as an NRI businessman.
