S.R. Radha, former Minister and one of the founding members of the AIADMK, died at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 86. He is survived by two sons and two daughters.
Born in Kumbakonam, Thanjavur district in August 1934, he was associated with the Sourashtra Sabha and weavers’ organisations. At a young age, he was drawn to the Dravidian movement led by E.V. Ramasamy and later joined the DMK and subsequently, the AIADMK.
Mr. Radha, first elected to the Assembly from Kumbakonam, later became a member of the Legislative Council. When M.G. Ramachandran was Chief Minister, he was made, in July 1983, Fisheries Minister and later given the Housing portfolio.
In March 1985, Mr. Radha was appointed deputy general secretary of the AIADMK. After winning from the Madurai (East) Assembly constituency as a candidate of the unified AIADMK in March 1989, he became the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly later that year in the wake of the resignation of Jayalalithaa from the post.
Four years later, he was expelled from the AIADMK. In January 1998, he returned to the DMK briefly before going back to the AIADMK.
His death was condoled by AIADMK coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and co-coordinator and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
