Former minister and senior Congress leader KP Viswanathan passes away

THRISSUR: Former minister and senior Congress leader KP Viswanathan passed away at the age of 83 on Friday morning. He had served as Forest Minister in the K Karunakaran and Oommen Chandy cabinets. He had been MLA six times.

Viswanathan was born on April 22, 1940, as the son of Paangan and Parukkutty in Kunnamkulam. He graduated from Thrissur Kerala Varma College. He had also served as a lawyer. He entered politics through the Youth Congress. He had been Youth Congress Thrissur district president from 1967 to 1970. In 1977 and 1980, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly from the Kunnamkulam constituency. In 1987, 1991, 1996 and 2001, he was elected to the Assembly from Kodakara constituency. He had served as Forest Minister in the K Karunakarann cabinet from 1991 to 1994 and in the Oommen Chandy cabinet from 2004 to 2005. In 2005, he had to step down from the post of minister as per the instructions of the High Court.