AMMK Treasurer and former MLA P Vetrivel passed away due to COVID-19 at a private hospital in Chennai on Thursday. The 59-year-old leader was admitted to the Sri Ramachandra Hospital on October 6 and his health condition became critical on October 9 and was placed on a ventilator. According to a release from the hospital, Vetrivel was under intensive care in Sri Ramachandra Hospital for COVID-19 treatment. The 59-year-old passed away at 18.40 hrs on Thursday due to septic shock and other reasons.
A close confidante of TTV Dhinakaran, General Secretary of the AMMK, Vetrivel began his political career in the Congress before moving to the AIADMK. In 2011, he successfully contested from the RK Nagar Assembly seat. He, however, went on to vacate his seat in 2015 for AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, who had been disqualified as an MLA and had to step down as Chief Minister following her conviction in 2014 by a trial court in the disproportionate assets case. Following her acquittal by the Karnataka High Court, Vetrivel stepped down from the RK Nagar seat to make way for Jayalalithaa.
In 2016, Vetrivel was given the AIADMK ticket to contest from the Perambur seat, which he went on to win. After Jayalalithaa’s demise and subsequent split of the AIADMK, he joined the TTV Dhinakaran faction and remained a loyalist till the end. He was disqualified along with 17 other AIADMK MLAs for withdrawing support to Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami. In 2019, he contested under the AMMK from Perambur but was defeated.
AMMK supporters expressed their condolences on Twitter. A twitter user Arun said, “You stood for what is right. You showed loyalty is more than power. You could have lived to see TTV Dhinakaran and AMMK coming to lights. Rest in Peace sir Vetrivel.”
You stood for what is right. You showed loyalty is more than power. Could have lived to see #TTVDhinakaran and #AMMK coming to lights.
— Arun (@arunscrib) October 15, 2020
Rest in Peace sir #Vetrivel . pic.twitter.com/wMtEHAZBMV
Om Shanthi P. Vetrivel
— BUSHINDIA (@BUSHINDIA) October 15, 2020
Another politician death due to Corona. He won Perambur MLA seat as Admk candidate and later got disqualified among 18 others by speaker and continued in AMMK. pic.twitter.com/HsvB54Oi1f
DMK MLA J Anbalagan and Congress MP Vasanthakumar are among the other prominent leaders from Tamil Nadu to succumb to the coronavirus.