K.M. Mani, former Kerala finance minister, no more

Former Kerala finance minister K.M. Mani passed away at a private hospital in Kochi on Tuesday. He was 86.

Mani breathed his last around 4:57pm at Lakeshore Hospital where he was being treated for respiratory ailments.

His party, Kerala Congress (M), is a key ally of the Congress-led UDF in the state. Mani represents the Pala constituency in Kottayam district. 

He is survived by wife Kuttiyamma, daughters Smitha, Sali, Annie and son Jose K. Mani, a Rajya Sabha MP.

Mani began his political career as a block president of the Congress about six decades ago. He was a member of the KPCC from 1959 until 1964 when the Kerala Congress was formed.

Mani was first elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1965 from the then recently-formed Pala assembly constituency. He went on to win the next 12 elections, a feat unmatched in Kerala's electoral history. 

Pala stood by Mani even in the 2016 polls, which were conducted in the shadow of a bribery scandal that tainted Mani and another minister in the previous UDF government.

Mani holds the record for the representing a constituency for the largest duration—more than half a century—in the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

In addition, Mani holds a slew of other records. He is the longest-serving minister in the state. He has served in 12 ministries. He has presented 13 budgets as the finance minister, an achievement unparalleled even at the national level. 

Mani first became a minister in December 1975. He was a natural choice to become the finance minister. He became home minister in the ministry formed after the emergency.

Mani has handled almost all departments in the government, including finance, revenue, home, irrigation, law, housing and electricity. As the finance minister, he had presented 13 budgets. 

(With inputs from Onmanorama)