Senior Congress Leader K Sankaranarayanan Passes Away

New Delhi, April 25 (TNA) Veteran Congress leader K Sankaranarayanan has passed away. He had held many important posts during his long career, including the governor of Maharashtra, Nagaland and Jharkhand. In the Government of Kerala, he held several portfolios including Finance, Agriculture and Excise.

He was 89. Sankaranarayanan had been an MLA four times. He was also the convener of the United Democratic Front for 16 years and maintained an excellent rapport with coalition partners including the Muslim League and Kerala Congress-Mani when the UDF was in power and in opposition.

Other leaders including Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan condoled his death. Arif Khan wrote, "My heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of K Sankaranarayanan, former Governor of Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Nagaland. His demise is a loss to Kerala and the nation.

Kerala Chief Minister Vijayan said that K Sankaranarayanan upheld the Nehruvian outlook, including secularism, while addressing public issues without the accompaniment of hatred or any other communal views. He held the post of UDF convener for a long time and always kept a positive attitude towards the issues faced by the people.