<p>Rajya Sabha member M P Veerendra Kumar, who died at the age of 84 on Thursday night, had been a minister in Kerala for hardly 48 hours.</p>.<p>Kumar was elected to the eighth Kerala Legislative Assembly from Kalpetta in Wayanad, his home town, in 1987. He was sworn in a forest minister on April 2, 1987, in the left ministry led by CPM leader E K Nayanar. But owing to differences from within the party as a faction wanted N M Joseph to become the minister, Veerendrakumar decided to resign the next day.</p>.<p><strong>Also read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/m-p-veerendra-kumar-md-of-malayalam-daily-mathrubhumi-and-rajya-sabha-mp-passes-away-843095.html" target="_blank">M P Veerendra Kumar, MD of Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi and Rajya Sabha MP, passes away</a></strong></p>.<p>According to Kumar's website, immediately after swearing-in, he decided to ban felling of trees in forests. Following pressure to withdraw the order, he resigned.</p>.<p>Veteran political analysts K G Parameswaran Nair recollected that in-fight in the Janatha party was the key reason for Kumar's resignation. "After swearing-in in Thiruvananthapuram, he headed towards his home town for reception. But before the reception was over he had to resign. Some media had then termed him as '<em>Ek Din Ka Raja</em>' (one day king)," Nair recollects.</p>.<p><strong>Also read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/pm-modi-condoles-death-of-rs-member-and-mathrubhumi-md-m-p-veerendra-kumar-843112.html" target="_blank">PM Modi condoles death of RS member and Mathrubhumi MD M P Veerendra Kumar</a></strong></p>.<p>Kumar was Loktantrik Janata Dal state president in Kerala. He was Lok Sabha member during 1996-98 and 2004-2009 and served as Minister of State, Finance in 1997 and Minister of State for Labour (Independent Charge) in 1997-98. He was Rajya Sabha MP from 2016 to 2017. He was then a JD(U) leader and had resigned from Rajya Sabha after JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar decided to join NDA. He remained with the Sharad Yadav faction and got re-elected to Rajya Sabha in 2018 March.</p>.<p>Kumar was also serving as Managing Director and Chairman of a prominent Malayalam media group that brings out the widely-read daily <em>Mathrubhumi</em>. He authored over 20 books and won over 100 awards.</p>.<p>Kumar was born on July 26, 1936, at Kalpetta in Wayanad. His father M K Padmaprabha Gowder was a member of Madras Legislative Assembly and mother Marudevi. He is survived by his wife Usha, son Shreyams Kumar, who is a former MLA, and three daughters. <span>Funeral was held near his ancestral home at Kalpetta in </span><span>Wayanad with state honours by 5 pm on Friday. Owing to lockdown,</span> <span>restrictions were imposed on the number of persons to pay last </span><span>respects.</span></p>.<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and many other prominent leaders condoled Kumar's death.</p>
<p>Rajya Sabha member M P Veerendra Kumar, who died at the age of 84 on Thursday night, had been a minister in Kerala for hardly 48 hours.</p>.<p>Kumar was elected to the eighth Kerala Legislative Assembly from Kalpetta in Wayanad, his home town, in 1987. He was sworn in a forest minister on April 2, 1987, in the left ministry led by CPM leader E K Nayanar. But owing to differences from within the party as a faction wanted N M Joseph to become the minister, Veerendrakumar decided to resign the next day.</p>.<p><strong>Also read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/m-p-veerendra-kumar-md-of-malayalam-daily-mathrubhumi-and-rajya-sabha-mp-passes-away-843095.html" target="_blank">M P Veerendra Kumar, MD of Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi and Rajya Sabha MP, passes away</a></strong></p>.<p>According to Kumar's website, immediately after swearing-in, he decided to ban felling of trees in forests. Following pressure to withdraw the order, he resigned.</p>.<p>Veteran political analysts K G Parameswaran Nair recollected that in-fight in the Janatha party was the key reason for Kumar's resignation. "After swearing-in in Thiruvananthapuram, he headed towards his home town for reception. But before the reception was over he had to resign. Some media had then termed him as '<em>Ek Din Ka Raja</em>' (one day king)," Nair recollects.</p>.<p><strong>Also read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/pm-modi-condoles-death-of-rs-member-and-mathrubhumi-md-m-p-veerendra-kumar-843112.html" target="_blank">PM Modi condoles death of RS member and Mathrubhumi MD M P Veerendra Kumar</a></strong></p>.<p>Kumar was Loktantrik Janata Dal state president in Kerala. He was Lok Sabha member during 1996-98 and 2004-2009 and served as Minister of State, Finance in 1997 and Minister of State for Labour (Independent Charge) in 1997-98. He was Rajya Sabha MP from 2016 to 2017. He was then a JD(U) leader and had resigned from Rajya Sabha after JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar decided to join NDA. He remained with the Sharad Yadav faction and got re-elected to Rajya Sabha in 2018 March.</p>.<p>Kumar was also serving as Managing Director and Chairman of a prominent Malayalam media group that brings out the widely-read daily <em>Mathrubhumi</em>. He authored over 20 books and won over 100 awards.</p>.<p>Kumar was born on July 26, 1936, at Kalpetta in Wayanad. His father M K Padmaprabha Gowder was a member of Madras Legislative Assembly and mother Marudevi. He is survived by his wife Usha, son Shreyams Kumar, who is a former MLA, and three daughters. <span>Funeral was held near his ancestral home at Kalpetta in </span><span>Wayanad with state honours by 5 pm on Friday. Owing to lockdown,</span> <span>restrictions were imposed on the number of persons to pay last </span><span>respects.</span></p>.<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and many other prominent leaders condoled Kumar's death.</p>