Kerala Congress (B) chairman R Balakrishna Pillai passed away on Monday early morning due to respiratory illness. He was 86. He was admitted to a private hospital in Kottarakkara in Kollam a few days back and was in ventilator support. The end came at the hospital. It was K B Ganeshkumar, son of Balakrishna Pillai, who announced the death news.
He was first elected to the Assembly in 1960 from Pathanapuram. Later he won from Kottarakkara in 1965. He won from the Kottarakkara Assembly constituency consecutively from 1977 to 2006. In 2006, Pillai was defeated by CPM’s Aisha Potty and after that he did not contest.
Balakrishnan Pillai held various portfolios namely Transport and Power.
KC (B) was an ally of United Democratic Front led by the Congress and joined the Left Democratic Front in 2018 December.
Born in 1935 in Vaikom near Kottarakara, Balakrishna Pillai was son of Keezhoote Raman Pillai and Karthayani Amma. He has 2 daughters and a son. His wife Valsala pre-deceased him. His son actor K B Ganesh Kumar has served as state minister during 2001-03 and 2011-13.
Pillai was a controversial figure in Kerala politics and was member of Thiruvathankur Students’ Union. Pillai had acted in 2 films namely Vedikettu and Ival Oru nadody.
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