CHENNAI: AIADMK presidium chairman and former minister E Madhusudanan, 79, died here on Thursday at a private hospital where he was admitted two weeks ago for multi-organ dysfunction. Though his health improved a bit, it deteriorated recently and despite best possible treatment, the end came around 4 pm.
Madhusudhanan, a staunch follower of AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran, served as the Textile Minister in the ministry headed by J Jayalalithaa between 1991 and 1996. In 1991, he was convicted and later acquitted in the free sari and dhoti scam. He became the presidium chairman of the party in 2007.
Madhusudanan, like all other senior leaders, supported VK Sasikala after the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. However, after Panneerselvam revolted against the Sasikala family and led a faction of the AIADMK, Madhusudanan joined his faction.
Following this, Sasiakala expelled Madhusudanan and others who supported Panneerselvam and appointed the then minister KA Sengottaiyan as the presidium chairman. But Madhusudanan too expelled Sasikala and others and the confusion came to an end when the factions led by Panneerselvam and Palaniswami merged in August 2017. The expulsions and appointments made by VK Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran in the party were declared invalid and Madhusudanan became the presidium chairman again.
Following the death of Madhusudanan, a new presidium chairman has to be appointed. C Ponnaiyan, who was appointed as presidium chairman twice by late leader J Jayalalithaa, KA Sengottaiyan, Panruti S Ramachandran and Dindigul C Seenivasan are the frontrunners for the post.
On July 20, AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami visited Madhusudanan and enquired about the treatment being given to their party leader. When Palaniswami was having discussions with the family members of Madhusudanan, VK Sasikala caused ripples by arriving at the hospital.