Kochi: Senior Congress leader and former Member of Parliament KP Dhanapalan passed away on Friday.

He was 76. He breathed his last at a private hospital in North Paravur.

Dhanapalan, who represented the Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala in the 15th Lok Sabha, was a prominent figure in the Indian National Congress and had served in several key organisational roles within the party, including Ernakulam District Congress Committee (DCC) President and All India Congress Committee (AICC) member.

He began his political journey through the Kerala Students Union (KSU), where he served as unit president at SN High School, North Paravur, before rising to become Ernakulam district secretary of the student body.

An academic by training, Dhanapalan completed his pre-university course from Sree Narayana Mangalam College, Maliankara, and earned a BSc in Chemistry from Union Christian College, Aluva, where he also served as college union chairman.

Over the years, he held multiple positions within the Congress organisation, including Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) member, secretary, and general secretary.