Veteran Kerala Congress (M) leader and one of the founding members of the party, CF Thomas passed away on Sunday. He was 81. Thomas, a nine-time MLA from Changanassery who has spent 43 years as an elected member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, died in a private hospital in Thiruvalla, Kottayam. According to reports, he has not been keeping well for several months now.
CF Thomas first entered politics through the Kerala Students Union or the KSU (the students wing of the Congress party). He later went on to join veteran legislator and ex Home Minister KM Mani to found the Kerala Congress (Mani) division, as they were disillusioned with the working of the Congress party in Kerala. The regional party’s vote bank consisted of farmers and the Christian community in Kerala. Kerala Congress (M) allied with the Congress party a few years later and this association has lasted till now, barring a few years in between.
In 1980, CF Thomas contested elections for the first time from the Changanassery constituency from where he was voted to power. He has been voted to the Assembly a record nine times from Changanassery, including in the last elections in 2016. Thomas is also considered one of the main architects of Changanassery which grew into a busy town in Kottayam district in the 43 years when he was an MLA. Between 2001 and 2006 the veteran leader also held a Cabinet position – as Minister of Rural Development, Registration and Khadi – in the AK Antony and Oommen Chandy-led UDF governments.
After KM Mani’s death in 2019, CF Thomas who was a close friend of the deceased leader, chose to join the faction of the split party headed by PJ Joseph. The party split into two factions with one led by Joseph and the other by Mani’s son Jose K Mani. Thomas was also the deputy chairmen of the Joseph faction of the party in the Assembly.
The veteran leader was suffering from cancer and was under treatment for many months. He was admitted to the Christian Medical College in Vellore, Tamil Nadu at one point. The 81-year old was on ventilator support for over three days in the Thiruvalla hospital. A trusted associate of KM Mani, Thomas was oftentimes the voice of the party especially post Mani’s demise.
Speaking to local media on Sunday, Jose K Mani said that today he had lost a father figure whom he respected a lot. He also added that he had met Thomas during his illness and the latter had enquired about his mother (Mani’s wife). Jose K Mani added that CF Thomas was integral to developing the Central Travancore region.