Former PWD Minister VK Ebrahim Kunju passes away in Kochi

Kochi: Former minister and senior Muslim League leader VK Ebrahim Kunju (73) passed away on Tuesday evening at a private hospital in Kochi. He had been undergoing treatment for cancer for a prolonged period, and his condition had worsened over the past few days.

A prominent Muslim League leader in central Kerala, Ebrahim Kunju was born in 1952 at Kongorappally in Aluva to U.V. Khader and Chithumma. He entered public life through the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) and the Muslim Youth League, gradually rising through the party ranks.

He was first elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 2001 from the Mattancherry constituency and was re-elected from the same seat in 2006. In 2011 and 2016, he represented the Kalamassery constituency in the Assembly.

Ebrahim Kunju became a minister for the first time in 2005, following the resignation of P.K. Kunhalikutty. He later served as the Public Works Minister in the Oommen Chandy-led government in 2011. During his tenure, a corruption case was registered in connection with the construction of the Palarivattom flyover, in which he was named as an accused.

He is survived by his wife, Nadeera, and their children — Advocate V.E. Abdul Gaffoor, Abbas, and Anoop. His son, V.E. Abdul Gaffoor, was the UDF candidate from Kalamassery in the 2021 Assembly elections.