Chennai: A nominee of the main Opposition AIADMK, who was contesting the 19 February urban local body polls in Kancheepuram, was found dead at his residence Thursday.

The 36-year-old T Janakiraman, a bachelor, is the AIADMK candidate for Ward no. 36 in Kancheepuram Corporation.

Janakiraman, who was pitted against ruling DMK’s Subburayan, has been actively campaigning after filing his nomination papers last week.

He returned home Wednesday night after AIADMK joint convenor and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami introduced the candidates in Kancheepuram, including Janakiraman and canvassed votes.

As he did not wake up this morning, his family members found him unconscious in his bedroom and alerted the police and partymen in the area. He was taken to the Kancheepuram Government hospital where the doctors declared him dead.

His father claimed it was a suicide, reportedly due to threats from political opponents. A large number of AIADMK cadres, led by party district secretary and former Minister V Somasundaram, former MP Kanchi Panneerselvam and former MLA P Ganesan, staged a road roko agitation on the Kancheepuram-Chengalpattu highway. and demanded action against those who forced Janakiraman to take the extreme step.

Expressing anguish and grief over his death, AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and Edappadi Palaniswami in a statement expressed their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members.

They condemned the attitude of the DMK and demanded that the State Election Commission take action against the ‘anti-democratic’ approach of the ruling party. Steps should be taken by the SEC and the police department, they added.