P. T. Chacko, Pullolil

P. T. Chacko (1915–64) was a prominent politician of Travancore and later Kerala. He was the Home Minister of Kerala during 1960-64.^[1]

He was born on April 9, 1915 as the son of Thomas Pullolil and Annamma Thomas at Chirakkadavu, in Kottayam District. A lawyer by profession, he served as a member of Travancore Legislative Assembly from 1948 to 1949. After the integration of the state of Travancore and Cochin, he continued to be a member of the Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly from 1949 to 1952. In 1949, he also served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India. He was the Chief whip of Legislature party of the Indian National Congress in the Travancore Legislative Assembly in 1948, and also acted as Secretary of Congress Legislature Party in Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly. He had also served for a time in Rajya Sabha, during 1952-53.

P. T. Chacko was elected to the First Kerala Legislative Assembly from Vazhoor constituency as a Congress Party Member. He was the first Leader of Opposition of the newly formed State of Kerala. He represented Meenachil constituency in the second Kerala Legislative Assembly, and handled the portfolio of Home Affairs in the Ministry headed by Pattom Thanu Pillai from 22-02-1960 to 26-09-1962. In the subsequent Ministry headed by R. Sankar too, he handled the same portfolio from 26-09-1962 to 20-02-1964. He resigned from the post of Home Minister on 20 February 1964, which eventually paved the way for the formation of a new regional party, Kerala Congress, under the leadership of K. M. George (politician), after his untimely demise shortly afterwards.

Mariamma is his wife and they have six children. His son P. C. Thomas has represented the Muvattupuzha(no longer exists) constituency in Lok Sabha from 1989 to 2004, and has served as the Union Minister of State for Law in the Atal Behari Vajpayee Cabinet. P. T. Chacko died on 31-07-1964.

Notes

1. ^ "General Info > Council of Ministers since 1957 > Second Kerala Legislative Assembly". Kerala Legislature. http://www.niyamasabha.org/codes/ginfo_6_2.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-31. 

References

• "Ministers of Kerala Down the Years" - a Publication of Kerala Legislature Secretariat.
• P. T. Chacko, Pullolil