Ex-minister Chendur Pandian passes away
Former Tamil Nadu minister had been admitted with cardio vascular ailments and was in ICU
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-07-12 05:50 GMT
Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu minister and AIADMK MLA P. Chendur Pandian died here on Saturday after a prolonged illness, the AIADMK party said in a statement. Pandian had been admitted with cardio vascular ailments and was in ICU for a few months. State ministers O. Panneerselvam, B. Valarmathi and MLAs in Chennai paid tribute to their former cabinet colleague. Pandian's last rites of Pandian are to be held on Sunday at his native place, Tenkasi.
Pandian, a grass root worker, started his political career as chairman of Senkottai milk co-operative society and rose to the post of Tiruneveli rural district secretary in the party. The 64-year-old MLA represented Kadayanallur assembly constituency. In the present AIADMK regime, minister Pandian handled portfolios of tourism, handicraft and the HR&CE portfolios. After he was hospitalised, Pandian was made as a minister without portfolio and lost his cabinet post only during the recent swearing in ceremony of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for the fifth time.
Pandian is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. AIADMK party supremo and CM J. Jayalalithaa, in a statement, expressed grief over Pandian's demise. She termed him a loyal party worker who served in many party posts executing the party activities in letter and spirit. "His demise is a great loss to the ruling AIADMK and my prayers and condolences for the bereaving family members," the statement read.
In order to condole his death and as a token of respect for departed soul, all party functions and public meetings arranged for Saturday were postponed, the statement added. Pandian was elected to the Assembly from Kadayanallur in Tirunelveli district in 2011 following which he was inducted as the minister for Khadi and village Industries. Official sources ruled out a bypoll for Kadayanallur constituency. "With less than one year to go for next TN general assembly polls, no by election for Kadayanallur," a public election department official said.