Monday, April 11 2005 15:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: Former TNCC (Tamil Nadu Congress Committee) President M P Subramaniam died at a hospital in Chennai today (Apr 11, 2005) after a brief illness.

He was admitted to the hospital a few days back with breathing problems and the end came at 1400 hrs (IST), his family sources said.

He was 81 and is survived by wife, five sons and three daughters.

His body would be taken to his native Panmadal village in Salem district tonight and the funeral would take place tomorrow (Apr 12, 2005), the sources said. Subramaniam was elected to the State Assembly first in 1952 as an independent with the DMK's (Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam) support. He later joined the party, but quit it along with late E V K S Sampath in 1960, who floated his Tamil Desiya Congress.

Sampath merged his party with the Congress in 1965 and Subramaniam also joined the Congress then.

He was made TNCC President in 1980, when the Congress aligned with the DMK for the first time for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls that year. He raised the question of Chief ministership, which created a stir among the political circles then.

However, late Indira Gandhi resolved the issue by announcing that DMK Chief M Karunanidhi would be the Chief Minister, if the alliance was voted to power in the polls.

The TNCC has announced a three-day mourning from today. TNCC President G K Vasan would participate in the funeral tomorrow, TNCC sources said.