Former Kerala Assembly Speaker A C Jose passes away

KOCHI: Senior Congress leader and former Speaker of Kerala Legislative Assembly A C Jose died at a private hospital here today after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Jose (79) was taken to the hospital after he suffered chest pain early in the morning. He died due to heart attack, according to party sources.

Jose, who played a dominant role in the formation of Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of Congress in Kerala, served as Mayor of the Kochi Corporation in 1970s.

Later in 1980, he was elected Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly from Paravur Constituency.

Elected as Speaker of Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1982, he used casting vote to retain the Congress government headed by K Karunakaran.

Jose, a former Vice President of KPCC, was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996, 1998, 1999 general elections.

Jose also served as Chief Editor of Veekshanam Daily, a mouthpiece of the Congress party in Kerala.