Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 3 (IANS)
CPI-M politburo member and former Kerala state secretary of the party, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan who passed away on Saturday at Appolo Hospital, Chennai after battling pancreatic cancer was laid to rest with full state honours. The former Kerala home and tourism minister, Kodiyeri, was one of the most prominent faces of the CPI-M from Thalassery.
His funeral was held at Payyambalam beach with his sons, Benoy Kodiyeri and Bineesh Kodiyeri lighting the funeral pyre of the departed leader. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Politburo members, Prakash Karat, M.A. Baby, V.S. Vijayaraghavan, N. Ramakrishnan and a horde of leaders participated in his funeral at Payyamablam beach.
Kodiyeri Balakrishnan (69) was laid to rest in between the tombs of former Kerala Chief Minister, E.K. Nayanar and former CPI-M secretary, Chadayan Govindan.
The veteran communist leader was a five term MLA from Thalassery assembly constituency and was the CPI-M state secretary for three terms. Kodiyeri is credited to be the soft face of the CPI-M and has an always smiling persona.
He is survived by his wife Vinodini Balakrishnan, sons Binoy Kodiyeri and Bineesh Kodiyeri.
–IANS
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