Ex-MP Charles passes away

Veteran Congress leader and former Lok Sabha member A Charles passed away today, party sources said.
Charles, 83, had been under treatment for age-related ailments for quite some time and he breathed his last at a private hospital here, they said.
He was elected to Lok Sabha from Thiruvananthapuram constituency for successive terms in 1984, 1989, and 1991.
Charles was brought into electoral politics by former chief minister and Congress stalwart late K Karunakaran, apparently to consolidate the goodwill and support of his community in the area.
In his fourth bid, he was defeated by the CPI's K V Surendranath in 1996.

Charles, who was a government servant, was closely associated with educational and welfare organisations of the South Kerala Diocese of the Church of South India (CSI).
He had also served as a member of the state Public Service Commission, which he resigned to contest the election in 1984, after being persuaded by his mentor Karunakaran.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, KPCC President V M Sudheeran and leaders of various political parties expressed condolences at the death of Charles.