Senior Congress leader and former Puducherry Chief Minister MDR Ramachandran passed away on Sunday evening due to ill health. He was 90. Meanwhile, Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy announced the three days of mourning for the former CM and said his last rites will be performed with full state honours.
"I would like to inform you that the Puducherry government will observe three days of mourning for the former Chief Minister and his last rites will be performed with full state honours," Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy said.
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Ramachandran began his political journey in 1969, contesting from the Nettappakkam constituency on a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) ticket, where he defeated former Chief Minister Venkatasubba Reddy and was elected as an MLA for the first time. Later, he contested from various constituencies and represented both the DMK and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), winning as an MLA seven times.
He contested from Mannadipattu constituency on behalf of AIADMK in 1974 and 1977, on behalf of DMK in 1980, 1985, and 1990, and again on behalf of AIADMK in 2001, and he won as MLA seven times.
When he was with the DMK, he served as the Chief Minister of the Union Territory on two occasions—from January 16, 1980, to June 23, 1983, and from March 8, 1990, to March 2, 1991. Later, Ramachandran quit the DMK and joined the Congress in 2000. He was the Puducherry Assembly Speaker from June 11, 2001, to May 26, 2006. He also served as the vice-president of the Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee.