Kerala: Senior CPI leader and Peerumade MLA Vazhoor Soman passed away on Thursday at the age of 72 following a cardiac arrest. The incident occurred during a Revenue Assembly session at the Institute of Land and Disaster Management (ILDM) in PTP Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram, according to the Revenue Minister’s office.

Soman reportedly collapsed while attending the session. Despite immediate first aid and being rushed to a private hospital in Sasthamangalam, doctors were unable to revive him.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed deep sorrow over the veteran leader’s demise. In his condolence message, Vijayan described Soman as a dedicated legislator and a strong advocate for labor rights. “Soman was a workers’ leader who consistently defended the interests of the working class,” he said, highlighting Soman’s exemplary efforts to address public concerns both within and outside the Assembly.

Born on September 14, 1952, in Vazhur, Kottayam district, to Kunju Pappan and Parvathi, Soman began his political journey 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 1,835 votes.

Throughout his career, Soman held significant 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 death, he served as Vice President of AITUC Kerala and was a member of its National Working Committee.