Ernakulam (Kerala) [India], September 11 (ANI): Top Congress leaders, including Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Party President Mallikarjun Kharge, and MP Priyanka Gandhi, on Thursday condoled the death of PP Thankachan, a veteran Congress leader from Kerala, who passed away at the age of 88 at a private hospital in Aluva.
Rahul Gandhi remembered Thankachan as a dedicated leader committed to the welfare of Kerala’s people. “Saddened by the passing of former Kerala Congress President Shri P P Thankachan. A dedicated leader, he tirelessly worked for the people of Kerala and strengthened the Congress family with his commitment and humility. My thoughts are with his loved ones in this time of grief,” he wrote on X.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge highlighted Thankachan’s humility and statesmanship, stating, “Deeply saddened by the passing of Former @INCKerala President and veteran leader, Shri P P Thankachan. A dedicated leader who rose through the ranks, he was known for his humble presence and statesmanship, and he tirelessly worked for the welfare of farmers in the state. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and followers.”
Priyanka Gandhi expressed her condolences, saying, “Heartfelt condolences on the passing of senior Congress leader and former Kerala Agriculture Minister Shri P.P. Thankachan, a dedicated leader who served the people of Kerala with commitment and passion. My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”
Thankachan passed away around 4:30 pm at a private hospital in Aluva, where he had been receiving treatment for respiratory infection and age-related ailments.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also paid tribute, remembering Thankachan as a gentle and calm personality who rose from grassroots politics to state leadership. “He stood out in public life without ever being embroiled in controversies. As a minister and assembly speaker, he was able to keep everyone together and move forward. I share the grief of his family members and colleagues,” Vijayan said.
A towering figure in Kerala politics, Thankachan’s career spanned over five decades. He began as a Perumbavoor municipal councillor, serving as chairman from 1968 to 1980, becoming the youngest municipal chairman in India at the time. He later held positions as block president, Ernakulam DCC president, and KPCC vice-president, and represented the Perumbavoor constituency in the Kerala Legislative Assembly four times between 1982 and 1996.
He served as Speaker of the Assembly in 1991, becoming the first Speaker from Kerala nominated to the Standing Committee of Presiding Officers of State Legislatures in 1992. He also held the portfolio of Agriculture Minister in the AK Antony-led cabinet from May 1995 to May 1996, introducing key policies including free electricity for agricultural use.
Thankachan played a pivotal role as United Democratic Front (UDF) convenor from 2004 to 2018, coordinating alliance activities and maintaining party unity during factional disputes. He briefly served as KPCC president in 2004 and chaired Marketfed. He was also honoured with the title of Commander by the Patriarch of the Jacobite Syrian Church. (ANI)
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