Kochi, Sep 21 (IANS): One of the senior-most CPI-M leaders M.M. Lawrence passed away here on Saturday at a private hospital following a prolonged illness.

He was 95 years old.

Lawrence was a Lok Sabha member from Idukki from 1980 till 1984.

He was more known for his trade union activities and was a central committee member of the CPI-M.

He was ailing and was mostly confined to his home here after he left active politics.

Belonging to the old school of the Communists, Lawrence did not belong to the school of the CPI-M to which Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan belongs and that was one reason why his sterling political career in the CPI-M failed to reach greater heights ever since Vijayan took over the helm of the party when he became the state secretary in 1998.

In his heyday, even though he contested four times to the Kerala Legislative Assembly, he failed to win any assembly election.

Lawrence rose to popularity in the Communist Party after he was jailed for the attack on the Edapally Police station attack in 1950 and was in jail for long.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan and others paid glowing tributes to the veteran Communist leader.

He was known for living a Spartan life and always worked tirelessly for the ordinary workers and was known for fighting for the legitimate rights of the workers at the Cochin Port and numerous industrial units in and around Kochi.