Nagpur, July 25 (IANS): Former Kerala and Bihar governor Ramkrishnan Suryabhan Gavai passed away here on Saturday after prolonged illness. He was 86.

A farmer by profession and a sports enthusiast, Gavai functioned as Bihar's governor from 2006-08 and then as Kerala's governor till 2011.

In 2006, he was also acting governor of Sikkim for a brief period.

An active force in the Dalit movement, he headed the Republican Party of India RPI(G), which is now led by his son Rajendra R. Gavai.

Elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council from 1964-1994, Gavai was the chairman of the house from 1978-84 and later Leader of Opposition from 1986-88.

He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Amravati in 1998.

As the Kerala governor, he shot into the limelight when he overruled the advice of the advocate general and gave sanction to the CBI to prosecute CPI-M leader and former minister P. Vijayan in the SNC-Lavalin case.

The last rites will be performed on Sunday at Darapur village near Amravati.