Congress veteran and the four-time former chief minister of Kerala and a former union minister Mr Kannoth Karunakaran, who trade-marked the Kerala politics for decades, passed away this evening at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. He was 92.

Karunakaran was under treatment for the last two weeks for breathing problems and was put on ventilator since Wednesday morning. He breathed his last after suffering a severe stroke this evening.

Considered very close to the late Prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, he was considered as the most powerful politician in Kerala and admirers used to call him ‘leader’ affectionately.