DMK MLA J Anbazhagan died of COVID-19 in a hospital in Chennai on the morning of Wednesday, 10 June, on his 62nd birthday.
He was admitted at Dr Rela Institute and Medical Centre for treatment on 2 June. He represented the Chepauk constituency in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Considered close to DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, Anbazhagan was the party’s Chennai west district secretary.
Anbazhagan had tested positive for the coronavirus after being hospitalised.
He is the first legislator to die of COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu.
“MLA Anbazhagan had been fighting for his life with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, rapidly deteriorated early this morning. In spite of full medical support including mechanical ventilation at our COVID facility, he succumbed to his illness. He was declared dead at 08.05 am this morning,” read the hospital bulletin on Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, the hospital had released a medical bulletin stating that the MLA’s condition had deteriorated and was ‘critical.’
“Oxygen requirement has gone up once again, cardiac function deteriorated,” the statement had read.
Tamil Nadu is the second most-affected state in the country after Maharashtra with 34,914 COVID-19 cases reported till Tuesday. These include 16,282 active cases and 307 deaths so far.
DMK Chief, Tamil Nadu & Kerala CMs Offer Their Condolences
Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and DMK chief MK Stalin have condoled the politician's death.
Stalin announced three-day mourning and said the DMK flag would be flown at half-mast at all party offices.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, too, offered his condolences.
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