Kochi: Senior Congress leader Thalekunnil Basheer, 79, passed away at his ancestral house in Vembayam in Thiruvananthapuram in the wee hours of today, media reports said.
Basheer was suffering heart ailments and was keeping away from active politics for the last few years.
His 79th birthday was celebrated recently by the family and party workers.
Known for his humility, Basheer was twice elected to Lok Sabha.
He was a member of the Rajya Sabha and Kerala Assembly. He had held many senior positions in Kerala Students Union and Youth Congress.
He began his political career as a KSU activist, media reports said.
A close confidant of senior Congress leader A K Antony, Basheer resigned from the assembly to facilitate Antony to contest to become the Chief Minister.
He was a leader who practiced value-based politics. Basheer had penned ten books. Late actor Prem Nazir’s sister is his wife. Two of his children are abroad.
Photo Credit: Twitter
