NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, FEB 28
Gudiyatham DMK MLA S Kathavarayan died here on Friday, the second party legislator to passes away in the last two days.
The 58-year old MLA representing Gudiyatham Assembly constituency in Vellore district breathed his last at a private hospital in Chennai where he underwent treatment for illness, party sources said.
Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit and DMK chief M K Stalin condoled Kathavarayan’s death.
Stalin pointed out that Kathavarayan’s death came a day after the demise of another party MLA and former Minister KPP Samy here on Thursday.
“It is a great loss for me to have lost Samy and Kathavarayan,” Stalin said in a statement.
The Gudiyatham MLA’s demise brings down the DMK’s strength in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly to 98.
Paying rich tributes, Stalin recalled the various positions and responsibilities handled by Kathavarayan, who was elected to the Assembly last year when by-polls to 22 constituencies were held along with the Lok Sabha elections.
“He earned all-round support during the bypoll,” Stalin said about his junior party colleague and expressed his sympathies with the family of the deceased.
Purohit expressed expressed “shock and grief” over the MLA’s death.
“His demise is an irreparable loss to the people of Gudiyatham assembly constituency.”
“I convey my deep condolences to the bereaved members of the family and pray to the Almighty God to rest his soul in peace,” he said in a condolence message.
