Chennikkara Francis Thomas (30 July 1939 – 27 September 2020) was an Indian politician from
Changanassery
Changanassery or Changanacherry is a municipal town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India.
History
The first recorded history on the origin of Changanacherry is obtained from Sangam period literature. According to Sangam era d ...
and member of the
Kerala Legislative Assembly
The Kerala Legislative Assembly, popularly known as the Kerala Niyamasabha, is the State Assembly of Kerala, one of the 28 states in India. The Assembly is formed by 140 elected representatives. Each elected member represents one of the 140 c ...
. He was Minister for Rural Development in the
third A. K. Antony ministry
The Eleventh Kerala Legislative Assembly Council of Ministers in A. K. Antony's third ministry, was a Kerala Council of Ministers (Kerala Cabinet), the executive wing of Kerala Government of Kerala, state government, led by Indian National Congres ...
and the subsequent
first Oommen Chandy ministry
Following is the list of 20 government ministers serving under Oommen Chandy, the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Kerala, from August 2004 through May 2006.
Trivia
Oommen Chandy was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Kerala on 31 August ...
. He was also the Chairman of the
Kerala Congress
Kerala Congress is an Indian political party founded at Kottayam, Kerala in October, 1964, by a block of former Indian National Congress leaders led by K. M. George. The party is primarily active in central Kerala.
The establishment of Kerala ...
and later became its Deputy Chairman.
Before entering politics, he was a teacher at
St. Berchmans Higher Secondary School in Changanassery from 1962 to 1980.
Political career
Thomas entered politics in 1956 as an activist of the
Kerala Students Union, the student wing of the
Indian National Congress. He joined the
Kerala Congress
Kerala Congress is an Indian political party founded at Kottayam, Kerala in October, 1964, by a block of former Indian National Congress leaders led by K. M. George. The party is primarily active in central Kerala.
The establishment of Kerala ...
in 1964 and was a founder member of the party. He was elected to the
Kerala Legislative Assembly
The Kerala Legislative Assembly, popularly known as the Kerala Niyamasabha, is the State Assembly of Kerala, one of the 28 states in India. The Assembly is formed by 140 elected representatives. Each elected member represents one of the 140 c ...
for 9 consecutive terms starting from 1980, representing
Changanassery constituency.
Thomas was a minister in the
third A. K. Antony ministry
The Eleventh Kerala Legislative Assembly Council of Ministers in A. K. Antony's third ministry, was a Kerala Council of Ministers (Kerala Cabinet), the executive wing of Kerala Government of Kerala, state government, led by Indian National Congres ...
and the subsequent
first Oommen Chandy ministry
Following is the list of 20 government ministers serving under Oommen Chandy, the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Kerala, from August 2004 through May 2006.
Trivia
Oommen Chandy was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Kerala on 31 August ...
, holding the portfolios of Registration, Rural Development, Khadi and Village Industries. He was the State Level General Secretary o
Kerala Catholic Students League He was respected for his humility and simple lifestyle.
Starting political activities while a student, he joined Indian National Congress and then became Vice-President of Changanassery Town (West). He joined Kerala Congress on its formation and served as Secretary and President of Changanassery constituency; District Secretary, Kottayam; Member, State Executive Committee. He worked as General Secretary and Chairman of the
Kerala Congress (M).
Owing to the amalgamation of the three groups of Kerala Congress, he served as its Deputy Chairman. He allied with the
P. J. Joseph
Palathinal Joseph Joseph (born 10 June 1941) is an Indian politician from Kerala Congress serving as the Member of the Legislative Assembly from Thodupuzha Assembly Constituency in Kerala.
A former cabinet minister, Joseph entered Kerala poli ...
faction of KC(M) after the party faced a rift following
K. M. Mani
Karingozhackal Mani Mani (30 January 1933 – 9 April 2019) was an Indian politician and the chairman of Kerala Congress (M), one of the main factions of Kerala Congress, a party born in the Travancore or Central South Kerala region which foc ...
's death.
Thomas died at
Thiruvalla Believers Church Medical College Hospital on 27 September 2020, at age 81, following a long illness.
References
1939 births
2020 deaths
20th-century Indian educators
Educators from Kerala
Indian Eastern Catholics
Indian National Congress politicians from Kerala
Indian schoolteachers
Kerala MLAs 1991–1996
Kerala MLAs 1996–2001
Kerala MLAs 2001–2006
Kerala MLAs 2006–2011
Kerala MLAs 2011–2016
Kerala MLAs 2016–2021
Malayali politicians
People from Changanassery
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