Ernakulam, Sept. 11 -- Senior Congress leader, former Kerala Assembly Speaker, and ex-KPCC president PP Thankachan passed away on Thursday evening at the age of 88.

He breathed his last around 4:30 pm at a private hospital in Aluva, where he had been undergoing treatment for respiratory infection and age-related ailments.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the demise and remembered Thankachan as a person who stood out in public life as a gentle and calm personality.

"He was a person who rose step by step from the grassroots level to the state leadership. Without ever being embroiled in controversies, he stood out in public life as a gentle and calm personality. In every position he held, he left a distinct mark," Vijayan s...