He had been in and out of hospital since he became a minister this May. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
Making his maiden entry into the Assembly in 1977 from the Piravam constituency in Ernakulam district, he won every election till 2001. In the 2006 assembly elections, Jacob lost for the first time. He won in the 2011 elections. With the death of Jacob, the strength of the UDF has come down from 72 seats to 71 in the 140-member Assembly.
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