S.M. Seenivel (65), the MLA-elect of Thiruparankundram constituency belonging to the ruling AIADMK passed away at a private hospital here on Wednesday morning. With this the strength of the AIADMK in the Assembly has come down to 133.
Mr. Seenivel, who defeated the rival DMK candidate M. Manimaran by a margin of 22,992 votes, was hospitalised on Wednesday last following a stroke, a day before the results came out. His son S. Selva Kumar, told The Hindu that his father had suffered a stroke that day and remained hospitalised since then as his condition gradually deteriorated. “We had to shift him to a different hospital in between for treatment,” he said.
Mr. Seenivel had served as an MLA of Thiruparankundram constituency when AIADMK was in power between 2001 and 2006. He is survived by wife S. Vijayalakshmi, son and three daughters.
Incidentally, during the previous AIADMK regime, on May 23, 2011, newly appointed Environment Minister Mariyam Pichai, was killed in a road accident on the Tiruchi-Chennai national highway at Thiruvalakurichi in Perambalur district, when he was on his way to attend the oath-taking ceremony as MLA.
Earlier, when the DMK was in power in 2006, Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments P.T.R. Palanivel Rajan died following a massive heart attack at Dindigul, barely three days after he was sworn in.
Jayalaithaa condoles
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa condoled the death of Mr. Seenivel and expressed her sympathies to the bereaved family.
