AIADMK Lawmaker Dies Of Cardiac Arrest While Reading Newspaper

An AIADMK lawmaker died this morning reportedly due to a cardiac arrest. R Kanagaraj, who represented Sulur constituency in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore, had a cardiac arrest while he was reading the newspaper. He was 67.

Chief Minister E Palaniswami and several other ministers are expected to go to Coimbatore to pay their last respects.

Mr Kanagaraj is survived by his wife, a son and daughter. He was an agriculturalist by profession.

MK Stalin, the chief of opposition DMK, condoled the lawmaker's death.

With Mr Kanagaraj's death, the AIADMK's strength in the Tamil Nadu assembly has come down to 113, five short of a majority. The total vacancy in the assembly has touched 22.

Election to 18 of these seats have been scheduled for April 18 along with the national election . The results of the bypolls would determine the survival of the AIADMK government.

The DMK has approached the Supreme Court and the Election Commission to hold polls for the other three seats too, saying cases are pending in court and that there is no order barring the conduct of polls.