AIADMK Leader Dies After Emotional Appeal for Party Unity

Distressed over the successive electoral setbacks of the AIADMK, a 32-year-old party functionary allegedly died by suicide at Thiruppanandal in Thanjavur district.The deceased was identified as K A S Mahendran, who was serving as the Joint Secretary of the AIADMK Thanjavur East Traders Wing. He is survived by wife and a one-year-old child.

Before taking the extreme step on Sunday, Mahendran released a self-filmed video on social media expressing profound anguish over the party's recent political defeats. In the video message, he made a passionate appeal to the leaders and cadres of various AIADMK factions, urging them to shed their differences and unite under the single leadership of party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) to strengthen the party.

Upon receiving information, the Thiruppanandal police recovered the body and sent it to the Government Hospital in Thiruppanandal for a post-mortem examination. A case has been registered, and further investigations are underway.

AIADMK general secretary Palaniswami is expected to visit Thiruppanandal to pay his last respects to the deceased functionary and offer condolences to the bereaved family.