All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) leader and former Communist Party of India (Marxist) State committee member Sarojini Balanandan, 86, passed away at her daughter’s home at North Paravur on Tuesday.
Wife of former CPI(M) Polit Bureau member the late E. Balanandan, she was a member of the Kalamassery panchayat and president before she went on to become a CPI(M) State committee member. The cremation is scheduled for 11 a. m. on Thursday at the Kalamassery crematorium.
Ms. Balanandan was the all-India vice-president of the AIDWA as well as its State president and secretary.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was among party leaders who condoled her death. During her long political career, she contested the Assembly election from Aluva in 1996 but lost to Congress sitting MLA K. Mohammadali.
She entered politics in 1968 after her marriage to Balanandan. She was born at Shaktikulangara in Kollam district in 1938, worked as clerk at the Ashoka Textiles Cooperative Society here after her marriage and later entered political life.
E. Balanandan passed away in 2009.
CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan paid homage to the departed leader at the Kalamassery Municipal Town Hall where the body was kept for the public to pay homage.
