• April 9, 2019

Kerala’s longest serving legislator KM Mani dies at hospital in Kochi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM April 9: KM Mani, the chairman of Kerala Congress (Mani) and the longest serving legislator in the state, died at a hospital in Kochi today. He was 86.

Mr Mani was being treated for chest infection at a private hospital, and was reportedly admitted last Thursday. He had been suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD for years.

Mr Mani has been a legislator of Pala assembly constituency for 50 consecutive years, since 1965.

He had not lost any election since 1967.

KM Mani had also served as Kerala finance minister in the United Democratic Front or UDF government and holds the record of presenting the maximum number of budgets in Kerala Assembly at 13.

His party is the biggest ally of the Congress in the UDF.

Karingozhakkal Mani Mani (30 January 1933 – 9 April 2019), popularly known as “Mani sir”, was a veteran Indian politician and the leader of Kerala Congress (M), one of the main factions of Kerala Congress, a party born in Central Travancore or Central South Kerala region focusing on the interest of Kerala state’s Christian farmers.

He holds the records of having presented the maximum number of budgets (thirteen) in the Kerala Legislative Assembly as Finance Minister and also as the longest-serving member of Kerala Assembly.

He holds the distinction of being the longest-serving minister in the Government of Kerala and having continuously represented Pala legislative constituency since its inception in 1964.

His initiative of Karunya Lottery Benevolent Scheme claims financial help of Rs. 1400 crores for nearly one lakh fifty thousand poor patients. He introduced pension for farmers and widows in Kerala. His Theory of the Toiling Class was presented in the British Parliament.

Based on Kerala High court’s comments on Mani’s involvement in Kerala BAR license scam and bribery case, he had to resign from the post of Finance minister of Kerala on 10 November 2015. He died on 09 April 2019 in Lakeshore Hospital Kochi due to Chronic Obstructive Airway Disease.