Pattom A. Thanu Pillai was born on July 15, 1885 in Thiruvananthapuram. His parents were Varadayyan and Eswari Amma. His original name was A. Thanu Pillai.He was mostly known as Pattom A. Thanu Pillai because he lived at Pattom in Thiruvananthapuram. He obtained a degree in law and started legal practise.After some days he gave up the practise and joined the Indian National Congress.He atively took part in the independence movement .Within a few days he became a good leader of the congress party.He was given the responsibility to lead the congress party in the princely state of Travancore. In 1946 he was appointed as the member of the constituent assembly of India.

Pattom A. Thanu Pillai played crucial role in drafting the constitution of India.After independence he was appointed as the prime minister of Travancore.In 1949 the princely states of Travancore and Cochin were merged.At that time Pattom A. Thanu Pillai joined the PSP party.In 1954 PSP party won the election and Pattom A. Thanu Pillai was appointed as the Chief Minister of Travancore-Cochin.In 1956 Kerela state was formed and the first general election was held in the next year. In this election PSP party was defeated by Communist Party but Pillai was elected as the member of Kerala Bidhansabha. After few years Communist government fell for the "Vimochana Samaram" (Liberation Struggle).In 1960 Pattom A. Thanu Pillai became the Chief Minister of Kerala as head of a PSP-Congress coalition Goverment and served two years.Later he served as the Governor of Punjab from 1962 to 1964 and as Governor of Andhra Pradesh from 1964 to 1968. Pattom A. Thanu Pillai passed away on July 27, 1970.