Newly-elected Tiruparankundram MLA passes away

S.M. Seenivel (65), the MLA-elect of Tiruparankundram constituency belonging to All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) passed away at a private hospital here on Wednesday morning.

Mr. Seenivel, who defeated the rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate M. Manimaran by a margin of 22,992 votes, was hospitalized last Wednesday, a day before the results of the recently-concluded Assembly election came out.

S. Selva Kumar, his son, told The Hindu that his father had suffered a stroke that day and remained hospitalized since then as his condition gradually deteriorated. “We had to shift him to a different hospital in between for treatment,” he said.

Although rumours spread last Friday that Mr. Seenivel had passed away, they were quickly denied by the family.

Mr. Seenivel had already served as an MLA of Thiruparankundram constituency when AIADMK was in power between 2001-06. He is survived by his wife S. Vijayalakshmi, son and three daughters.