Congress candidate from Nilambur V V Prakash dies of heart attack

MALAPPURAM: Senior Congress leader and opposition UDF candidate from Nilambur V V Prakash died of a heart attack Thursday morning. The 56-year-old leader was also Malappuram District Congress Committee president. He had undergone angioplasty a few months back.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other leaders including from rival parties extended their condolences to the family.

Gandhi tweeted, “The untimely demise of Malappuram DCC President & UDF Nilambur candidate V V Prakash Ji is extremely tragic. He will be remembered as an honest & hardworking member of the Congress, always ready to offer help to the people. My heartfelt condolences to his family.”

DCC sources said Prakash was admitted to a private hospital in Edakkara in the early hours of Thursday after he complained of heart-related discomfort, but was shifted to a facility in Manjeri as his condition worsened.

He passed away around 5 am, they said.

The Congress party was hoping to wrest the Nilambur seat from the ruling LDF alliance. The CPI (M) had fielded incumbent MLA P V Anwar.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty condoled the Congress leader’s demise.

The keenly fought state assembly polls were held on April 6 and the counting of votes is scheduled for May 2.