Senior Congress leader and MLA PT Thomas, who passed away earlier on Wednesday,December 22, has donated his eyes, reports Mathrubhumi news. The veteran Congress leader had been receiving treatment for cancer at a private hospital for the last few weeks. He passed away on Wednesday morning at the hospital. His remains are likely to be brought to his Assembly constituency on Thursday, December 23, and the last rites will be held later. Reports say that 71-year-old Thomas had sought last rites without rituals, and so the last rites are also likely to be simple, adhering to COVID-19 protocols.
Thomas was a four-time legislator and represented Idukki Lok Sabha constituency from 2009-14 and since 2016 has been representing Thrikkakara Assembly constituency in Ernakulam district. He was the working president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). Born in 1950, Thomas began his political career as a worker of the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student outfit of the Congress in Kerala. He held several positions including state president of the KSU, Youth Congress during his eventful political career.
A no-nonsense leader, Thomas, had no qualms in fighting for what he felt was right and that helped him all through his political career and in the most recently concluded Assembly session, he took on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan boldly and exposed his stand on certain issues and there were times when the two even exchanged words on the floor of the Assembly.
Following the poll debacle in the April 2 Assembly polls, while he won, the party suffered badly and soon the party decided to bring in new faces and even though being a legislator, he was made a Working President of the newly-constituted State Congress Committee. Condolences have started to pour in and Vijayan said a brilliant parliamentarian and one who believed in what he took up has passed away and it's a huge loss.