Former TN Speaker Sedapatti Muthiah no more

MADURAI: Former Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker and ex-union minister Sedapatti R Muthiah died at a private hospital here on Wednesday after prolonged illness. He was 77 years old.

Muthiah, fondly addressed as Sedpattiar, was the Speaker during the 1991-96 AIADMK regime and was later part of the AB Vajpayee-led union cabinet for while in 1998.

He was in the news over some confusion in casting his ballot during the confidence vote faced by the late Vajpayee in 1999, when the BJP-led NDA government lost by one vote.

Muthiah was later expelled from the AIADMK by its late supremo J Jayalalithaa and he joined the DMK in 2006.

He represented Sedapatti constituency as MLA for four times. He was also MP for two terms and a former union minister as well.

Chief minister Stalin, also the president of the ruling DMK, condoled Muthiah's death.

Recalling Muthiah joining the DMK in his father, the late M Karunanidhi's presence, Stalin hailed the former's contribution for the growth of the Dravidian party.

''I had recently met him at the hospital when I visited Madurai. I am anguished by his death,'' Stalin said in a condolence message.