Orator Nellai Kannan passed away today due to an age-related ailment at his residence in Tirunelveli. He was 77.
Kannan gave discourses on spirituality and Tamil literature among others. Kannan was a member of the Indian National Congress and appeared as a moderator in many public debate shows.
In 1989, Congress fielded him as a candidate from the Tirunelveli assembly constituency, but he lost to veteran Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader A L Subramanian.
In the 1996 assembly elections, he contested as a Congress candidate against late chief minister M Karunanidhi but faced a humiliating defeat.