One of Kerala's tallest socialist leaders M.P. Veerendra Kumar passed away at a private hospital here on Thursday, said family sources. He was 83. Veerendra Kumar, a sitting Rajya Sabha member, succumbed to a cardiac arrest. His last political appearance was when he took part in the meeting, via video conference, called by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to discuss Covid 19 issues with all lawmakers from Kerala two days back. Member of the Loktantrik Janata Dal and President of its Kerala state unit, Veerendra Kumar was also the Managing Director of the second-largest circulated Malayalam daily 'Mathrubhumi'.

A voracious reader and also an award-winning writer, he was a highly respected politician not just in Kerala but also in Delhi. He was in the Kerala Assembly from 1987-1991 and was sworn in as Forest Minister in the cabinet of Left Democratic Front leader E.K. Nayanar but resigned after five days due to differences in his party. He later contested the Lok Sabha polls and won the Kozhikode Lok Sabha seat in 1996 and became Union Minister of State for Finance and later of Parliamentary Affairs from 1997 to 1998.