[7] Viswanathan hailed from Thrikkaderi in Palakkad district of Kerala[8] and became the first Malayali to be appointed the Governor of Kerala[9] which was unusual given the convention of not appointing a native as the Governor of his home state in India.
[1] Viswanathan had a reputation of being the ‘eyes and ears of Delhi’ and often took an anti-Communist line.
He sparred with the then Chief Minister EMS Namboodiripad and once almost precipitated a constitutional crisis, when he prepared his own address to the Kerala Legislature.
[10] In September 1968, Viswanathan made attempts to persuade EMS to resign.
[11] During his tenure, EMS Namboodiripad and C Achutha Menon served as Chief Ministers.