M. Murali, senior Congress leader and former Mavelikara MLA, passes away

Senior Congress leader and former Mavelikara MLA M. Murali passed away on Thursday (February 5, 2026). He was 72. The end came at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.

Mr. Murali represented Mavelikara in the Kerala Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1991, defeating S. Govinda Kurup of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]. He went on to represent the constituency in 1996, 2001 and 2006.

Mr. Murali was born to K.P. Madhavan Pillai and V.K. Rajamma at Cherukole on August 3, 1953. He entered politics through the Kerala Students Union (KSU) in 1969 and became its State general secretary and president. For seven years from 1982, he was a general secretary of the Youth Congress. He was also a member of the Indian Youth Congress national council.

Mr. Murali garnered State-level attention when he led a Secretariat march of the youth from Kannur in 1982.

Mr. Murali retained the Mavelikara seat in 1996, defeating P.N. Vishwanathan of the CPI(M). In 2001 and 2006, he repeated the feat by defeating N.V. Pradeep Kumar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and G. Rajamma of the CPI(M) respectively. Although he contested from Kayamkulam in 2011, he lost to C.K. Sadasivan of the CPI(M).

Mr. Murali was a member of the first Senate of MG University. On different occasions, he has also served on the consultative committee of the Kerala State Electricity Board, the director board of the Kerala State Financial Enterprises, and the Kerala State Youth Welfare Board.

CM condoles death

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the death. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan remembered Mr. Murali as an efficient legislator and a prominent face of the Congress in Kerala. Speaker A.N. Shamseer, in a condolence message, remembered him as an able organiser, lawyer and legislator.

Mr. Murali is survived by his wife K.S. Rema Devi and three sons, Mithun, Mridul and Mrinal.