Puducherry: Former Puducherry Chief Minister and senior DMK leader R V Janakiraman passed away today. He was 79. He died around 3 am at a private hospital.
Janakiraman was undergoing treatment for age-related ailments and his condition remained critical for the past some days, according to sources.
Senior party leaders, including Member of Parliament Kanimozhi, visited him while he was at the hospital.
He was elected from Nellithope Assembly constituency and served from 26 May, 1996, to 18 March, 2000 as Chief Minister of the Union Territory. He also was the leader of the opposition from May 2001 to March 2006.
His body will be kept at his residence on Ambour Salai till Tuesday 7 am. The mortal remains will be laid to rest with full State honours at his residence in Alathur near Marakkanam in Tamilnadu on Tuesday at around 10 am. DMK president
M K Stalin will attend the funeral, sources said and added that Janakiraman started his career as a car driver to former Tamilnadu Chief Minister and DMK supremo M Karunanidhi.
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and MP V Vaithilingam visited Janakiraman’s residence today to pay their last respects to the departed leader.