 Thereafter, in 1996, he was elected from Sivaganga state assembly constituency to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly as a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate.Kiruttinan was Minister of State Highways and Ports in the Government of Tamil Nadu from 1998 to 2001.Pasumpon Tha Kiruttinan, was murdered on 20 May 2003.