Former Minister, Kerala Congress (B) chairman, and Forward Development Corporation chairman R Balakrishna Pillai, passed away at a private hospital in Kottarakara on Monday. He was 87. It was a few days ago, Pillai was hospitalized following breathing trouble. He was placed on ventilator support and administered supplemental oxygen. He breathed his last at 3 a.m on Monday. The funeral will be held with State honors at his ancestral home in Kottarakara in the evening.

The veteran politician entered into politics while he was a student and was a member of KPCC committee and AICC. Pillai''s over six-decade-long political career saw many ups and downs. He had served as a minister and panchayat president at the same time and had also represented the Kottarakkara constituency for a long time. He had served as minister of transport, excise, and power in various ministers.

It was during this year's Kerala Assembly election campaign, Pillai had inaugurated the campaign office of his son and Kerala Congress (B) legislator from Pathanapuram, K. B. Ganesh Kumar. Pillai’s son K B Ganesh Kumar had won his election to the Kerala Assembly on Sunday.