The senior most Congress party politician and four-time chief minister of the southern Indian state where he was known as “The Leader” was admitted to the hospital two weeks back with urine and chest infection and breathing difficulties. Two days later, he was put on ventilator and he showed remarkable improvement. However, his condition suddenly started deteriorating and was back on ventilator two days back where he suffered stroke twice leading to his death.

“The leading light of the Congress party has gone. He left us at 5.30 pm today,” said a weeping Congress party’s Kerala unit president Ramesh Chennithala, whom the leader made a minister at a young age of 30, while announcing his death in the hospital premises.

His son K. Muraleedharan and daughter Padmaja Venugopal were at his bedside at the time of the death.

Indian President Pratibha Patil, Vice President M. Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress party president and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and India’s other top political leaders paid rich tributes and expressed sorrow over the death of the veteran who was also a member of the Rao Cabinet and member of both houses of Parliament.

Sonia Gandhi is expected to arrive here Friday to pay her last respects to the departed leader. Defense Minister A.K. Antony and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will lead the Congress delegation attending the funeral to be held in Thrissur Saturday.

Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and his Cabinet colleagues visited the hospital immediately after his death was confirmed. The state assembly which was in session was adjourned by noon after a medical bulletin said his condition was extremely critical and legislators who were taking part in the debates started making a beeline to the hospital.

Antony, who succeeded Karunakaran as chief minister of the state, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and junior ministers Mullappally Ramachandran and Prof. K.V. Thomas reached his residence to pay their last respects. A large number of his followers also reached the hospital and accompanied the body to his “Kalyani” residence in the city amidst heavy rains.

Chennithala said his body will lay in state Congress party headquarters and the Durbar Hall of the State Secretariat in the state capital for the public and officials to pay their last respects after being kept at his residence overnight. The mortal remains will be taken to Thrissur in the evening to his final resting place near his wife Kalyanikkutti Amma’s tomb.

“He was a tower of strength for all Congressmen for more than half a century when he built up the party and the political coalition from the scratches. Even during his temporary absence from active Congress politics, workers looked up on him as the only source of strength,” said former Meghalaya governor and long-time associate M.M. Jacob.