Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], August 21 : Senior CPI leader and Peerumade MLA Vazhoor Soman passed away at the age of 72 on Thursday following a cardiac arrest.
The incident occurred while he was attending a session of the Revenue Assembly at the Institute of Land and Disaster Management (ILDM) in PTP Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram, according to the Revenue Minister's office.
Soman reportedly collapsed during the session. Though he was administered first aid and immediately shifted to a private hospital in Sasthamangalam, doctors were unable to save him.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed deep grief over the passing of the veteran leader.
In a condolence message, the Chief Minister remembered Soman as a popular legislator who rose through the trade union movement.
He said Soman's interventions for addressing people's issues, both within and outside the Assembly, were exemplary, and noted his steadfast commitment to labour rights.
"Soman was a workers' leader who always stood firm in defending the interests of the working class," Vijayan said.
Born on September 14, 1952, in Vazhur, Kottayam district, to Kunju Pappan and Parvathi, Soman entered public life in 1974 through the All India Students' Federation (AISF).
He was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 2021 from the Peerumade constituency, defeating Congress candidate Syriac Thomas by a margin of 1,835 votes.
Over his career, he held several key positions, including Chairman of the Welfare Standing Committee in the Idukki District Panchayat and Chairman of the Kerala State Warehousing Corporation.
At the time of his demise, Soman was serving as the Vice President of the AITUC Kerala and was also a member of its National Working Committee.