Kerala Congress leader Skariah Thomas dies

Thiruvananthapuram: Senior Kerala Congress leader and former member of Parliament Skariah Thomas, 77, passed away at a private hospital in Kochi on Thursday. He was under treatment for post-Covid complications.
Last month, he was admitted to a private hospital in Pala after being tested positive for Covid-19. He was later shifted to Kochi hospital. Though he recovered from Covid, his liver and respiratory system got affected and developed pneumonia.
Funeral will be held at the cemetery of St George Knanaya Church in Neelamperoor in Alappuzha after funeral services at his residence at 2pm on Saturday.
He was the chairman of Kerala State Industrial Enterprises Ltd. Thomas was the MP of Kottayam in 1977 and 1980. In 1984, he lost to Suresh Kurup of CPM.
He had served as the general secretary and vice-chairman of the undivided Kerala Congress. He had also worked with various Kerala Congress leaders like K M Mani, P J Joseph and P C Thomas.
After the split in 2015, he parted ways with P C Thomas and formed his own party and became a constituent in the LDF.
He was the chairman of Kerala Congress (Skariah Thomas). He has contested from Kothamangalam and Kaduthuruthy in the assembly elections.
He was the former chairman of Travancore Sugars. He had also served as the Trustee of Knanaya church.
He leaves behind his wife Lalitha and children Nirmala, Anitha, Zachariah Thomas and Latha.