Veteran Congress Leader PP Thankachan Dies At 86

Veteran Congress leader P P Thankachan who served as Speaker of the Kerala Assembly and held several key posts in the party and its alliance in the state, died on Thursday at a private hospital in Aluva. He was 86.

P P Thankachan, who had been under treatment for age-related ailments for the past month, also suffered from a chest infection and was on ventilator support. He breathed his last around 4.30 pm, hospital authorities said.

Born in Angamaly on 29 July 1939, Thankachan entered active politics through the Congress. He became chairman of the Perumbavoor Municipal Council at the age of 26. He was first elected to the Kerala Assembly from Perumbavoor in 1982, and went on to represent the constituency until 2001.

He served as Opposition Chief Whip between 1987 and 1991 and later as the state's Agriculture Minister from May 1995 to 1996. In 2004, he became president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

Thankachan also held several other positions, including UDF Convenor, member of the Rubber Board, and chairman of Kerala Marketfed.

He is survived by his wife, T V Thankamma, and three children. The funeral will be held later.

Leaders cutting across party lines condoled the demise of Thankachan.

In his message, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that Thankachan was a leader who rose from the grassroots level to prominent positions in state politics.

He was known for his calm demeanour and stayed away from controversies throughout his political career, said Vijayan, who is a veteran Marxist leader.

"Thankachan left a distinct mark in every role he held and was able to bring people together during his tenure as Minister and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly," the chief minister noted.

Former Defence Minister A K Antony said Thankachan was his close friend from student days in Ernakulam.

"He was a model political leader. Thankachan, T H Mustafa, and K G R Kartha were the 'Trimurti' in the political spectrum of Perumbavoor and nearby areas. We used to speak at least once a month, and I had talked to him before he was admitted to hospital. He, along with Mustafa, helped strengthen the Congress at the grassroots in Ernakulam district," he said.

The former Kerala CM also said that as Agriculture Minister in his government, Thankachan studied farmers' issues in depth and worked out solutions.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan said Thankachan's advice was invaluable to him.

"I used to consult him before taking any decision. He was like an elder brother to us. We express our deep condolences," he said.

UDF Convenor Adoor Prakash remembered Thankachan as a father figure in politics.

"His support to us as young politicians was commendable. His contribution to strengthening the Congress in Ernakulam was remarkable," Prakash said.

KPCC president Sunny Joseph recalled that Thankachan was a person who, despite being selected as a Munsiff, chose to dedicate himself to public service.

The demise of Thankachan is a great loss to the Congress, he said.

Congress Working Committee member Ramesh Chennithala, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan also condoled the demise of Thankachan.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)