Former Kerala minister and IUML leader Ebrahim Kunju passes away at 73 in Kochi

Former Kerala minister and senior Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader V K Ebrahim Kunju passed away in Kochi on Tuesday at the age of 73.

• Former Kerala minister V K Ebrahim Kunju passed away at 73 in Kochi.
• He was PWD Minister and a key IUML leader in Ernakulam and central Kerala.
• Kunju faced legal issues over the Palarivattom flyover case in his later years.

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Former Kerala minister and senior Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader V K Ebrahim Kunju passed away in Kochi on Tuesday at the age of 73. A medical bulletin issued by VPS Lakeshore Hospital said he died at 3.40 pm while undergoing treatment in the private ICU.

He had been admitted to the hospital on Sunday and was receiving care for multiple myeloma, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. He was shifted to the hospital after his health deteriorated.

Born on May 20, 1952, in Kongorpilly near Aluva to V U Khader and Chithumma, Ebrahim Kunju began his political journey through the Muslim Students Federation and later the Muslim Youth League. His entry into student politics laid the foundation for a long and influential public career. He was first elected to the Kerala Assembly in 2001 and later returned in 2006, 2011, and 2016, representing Mattancherry initially and later Kalamassery.

He held key ministerial portfolios in UDF governments, serving as Minister for Industries and Social Welfare in 2005 after the resignation of P K Kunhalikutty, and later as Minister for Public Works from 2011 to 2016 in the Oommen Chandy-led government. During his tenure as PWD Minister, he was associated with several major infrastructure projects and was regarded within the IUML as a disciplined organiser with significant behind-the-scenes influence.

Before entering full-time politics, Ebrahim Kunju was a businessman and also served as chairman and chief executive of Forest Industries (Travancore) Ltd. Known for his low-profile style and strong connection with grassroots workers, he remained an important figure in the IUML’s organisational structure, especially in Ernakulam and central Kerala.

His political career, however, was also marked by controversy. In 2020, the Kerala Governor approved his prosecution in the Palarivattom flyover case, following which he was questioned by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau. After the incident, his son Abdul Gafoor contested the 2021 Assembly election from Kalamassery in his place but was defeated by the CPM’s P. Rajeeve.

The Palarivattom flyover case continued to remain in the courts in his later years, even as ill health forced him to step away from public life.

He is survived by his wife, Nadeera, and three children, advocate Abdul Gafoor, Abbas, and Anoob. Details of the funeral will be announced by the family and IUML leadership.