Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] Polit Bureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the 70-year-old veteran communist leader from Kannur who steered the party in Kerala for three consecutive terms as State secretary, died on Saturday. Doctors who treated him at Apollo Hospital in Chennai attributed the cause to complications arising from pancreatic cancer. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Cabinet colleagues have cancelled their European tour to mourn the leader.
In December 2021, at a meeting of the Trivandrum Oncology Club, Mr. Balakrishnan had revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer in 2019 during a routine diabetic check. Later, the CPI(M) sent him to MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston, U.S., for advanced treatment.
Mr. Balakrishnan rarely let the ravages of the disease obstruct his work. Gruelling chemotherapy sessions and a bleak prognosis failed to dampen his spirit. He executed his political duties even when steeped in chronic physical discomfort. Later, the party elected M.V. Govindan as the State secretary in his stead.
