Veteran AIADMK leader Sulochana Sampath passes away at 86

CHENNAI: Veteran AIADMK leader and mother of TNCC President E V K S Elangovan, Sulochana Sampath died here today after a brief illness, family sources said.
She was 86. Sulochana, organisation secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), passed away at her residence here, a family relative told PTI.

She was discharged from hospital yesterday after undergoing treatment for eight days, the relative said.

Besides Elangovan, she is survived by three other sons, Iniyan Sampath, Gowthaman and Mathivanan and daughter Anbezhil while one another daughter had predeceased her.

Sulochana is the wife of late E V K Sampath, a Tamil Nadu Congress leader and nephew of rationalist leader E V Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar.

AIADMK supremo and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa visited Sulochana's residence, placed a wreath, paid her respects and offered her condolences.

"Her death is a huge loss for me and AIADMK to which she dedicated herself fully, she worked for women's equal rights," she said in her condolence message.

She has held various positions in the AIADMK including that of Women's Wing secretary. Also, she had held several positions in state run bodies like the Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation.

In a release, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) expressed grief and said Congress president Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul Gandhi and top leader Mukul Wasnik had conveyed their condolences.

DMK chief Karunanidhi, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, PMK chief Ramadoss were among others who condoled the death of the veteran AIADMK leader.