In a shocking piece of news, a DMK candidate has passed away at the age of 51 on Wednesday - February 16 due to a cardiac arrest. His demise has come three days ahead of the urban local body polls and he has become the second DMK candidate to die in two days, which has saddened the party and thrown weight on the claims of hectic campaigns held by the parties in the state. 

According to reports, 51-year-old Ayyappan was a DMK candidate for the upcoming polls and he was contesting from Athani in the Anthiyur Taluk of Erode district. He had been conducting incessant campaigns for the past few days in his area to win the polls. He was campaigning till Tuesday night and went home and took a break.

Shockingly, he had developed heart pain on Wednesday morning and he was rushed to a private hospital for treatment. However, the doctors had asked his family to take him to the government hospital. Unfortunately, Ayyappan had breathed his last due to a heart attack on the way to the government hospital. Following his demise, the election in his constituency has been deferred. 

The reports say that the election department of the district has postponed the poll and said that the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission would announce a fresh date for the election. Ayyappan has become the second candidate to die in two days. On Monday - February 14, DMK candidate Kani alias Muthaiah had passed away due to cardiac arrest. 

Kani was contesting in the second ward of the Watrap municipality in the Virudhunagar district. Following his demise, the district administration has announced that the election in that particular ward where Kani was contesting will be deferred. Our sources say that Ayyappan is the sixth candidate to die so far ahead of the polls. Last week, an ADMK candidate in Kanchipuram had committed suicide. 

The dreadful incident in Kanchipuram has sparked a fresh round of a political slugfest as amid mourning the loss, the party has blamed the state ruling DMK for its role in the death and the state election commission has deferred the election in that particular ward where the candidate was being fielded. 36-year-old Janakiraman, who was the candidate of the ADMK from ward 36 of the Kanchipuram corporation, has committed suicide on Thursday - February 10.