Thalekunnil Basheer, a veteran Kerala Congress leader, died on Friday morning at his home in Thiruvananthapuram. He was 79 years old.

Basheer, known as the party's "soft face," has been confined to his home for the past few years due to his poor health. He was also a two-term member of the Lok Sabha, a one-term member of the Upper House, and a winner of the state Legislative Assembly.

Basheer, the brother-in-law of famed Kerala actor Prem Nazir, had resigned from his Assembly seat to allow A.K.Antony to run for Chief Minister when K.Karunakaran was sworn in as the new Chief Minister in 1977.

He served as the vice-president of the party's Kerala unit and the president of the party's Thiruvananthapuram section in addition to being a legislator. On Saturday, his funeral rites will be administered here, and the remains would be put at various offices for party workers to pay their respects.

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