SIVAGANGA: Senior Congress leader and former union minister EM Sudarsana Nachiappan died at his house in Sivaganga on Thursday morning following a brief illness. He was 78. Nachiappan is survived by his daughter and two sons. The last rites will be performed at 3 pm on Friday in Eriyur.
Born in Eriyur near Sivaganga on September 29, 1947, Nachiappan served as Sivaganga Lok Sabha member from 1999 to 2004 and as Rajya Sabha MP between 2004 and 2016 for two terms.
He remained in Congress when G K Moopanar launched Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) and defeated P Chidambaram, who was then a TMC candidate, in the 1999 parliamentary elections.
After Chidambaram returned to Congress, Nachiappan was not considered by the high command. In 2019 and 2024, he was overlooked and the seat was allocated to Karti P Chidambaram.
Nachiappan served as Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry from June 17, 2013, to May 26, 2014. He was also chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, which played a role in examining and reporting on the Right to Information Bill, which led to the enactment of the Right to Information Act. He practised in the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court.
TNCC president B Manickam Tagore, who is Nachiappan’s nephew, recalled that he started his political life as president of the panchayat union, and rose to the position of MP and chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission. “He always lent his voice for the rights of the backward, oppressed and for social justice,” Tagore said in his tribute.
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, TMC (M) president G K Vasan, CPI state secretary M Veerapandian, former union minister Su Thirunavukkarasar, DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss, and AMMK general secretary T T V Dhinakaran condoled Nachiappan’s death.
