Veteran Congress leader and former MLA K Mohammed Ali died at a private hospital in Kochi on Tuesday, September 20 morning. He was 76 and was under treatment for kidney-related ailments. Ali, who had entered mainstream politics through the party's students' wing Kerala Students Union (KSU), won the Assembly polls consecutively since 1980 and represented Aluva constituency in the House six times.

He was also a member of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) for several years. Besides serving as the district president of the KSU, the leader also worked as the general secretary of the Youth Congress and the vice-president of the Ernakulam district congress committee (DCC).

Son of Kochunny and Nabeesa, Ali served as a member of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) Syndicate and MG University Senate, as well as the general secretary of the Organizing Committee of the Youth Congress rally, which was inaugurated by late Congress supremo Indira Gandhi.

Ali had not been active in mainstream politics for some time and people from various walks of life condoled his demise.

Earlier in March, veteran Congress leader Thalekunni Basheer, who served as both the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) general secretary and vice president, had passed away. He passed away at his residence in Vembayam. He was 79 and was reportedly suffering from heart-related ailments for a while. Basheer was elected to the Rajya Sabha twice, in 1977-79 and 1979-84; and also to the Lok Sabha twice, in 1984-89 and 1989-91.