Malappuram: Senior Congress leader and Opposition UDF candidate from Nilambur VV Prakash died of a heart attack on Thursday morning, party sources said.
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.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, IUML leader PK Kunhalikutty condoled the Congress leader's demise.
