Chennai, Jan. 27: A Congress legislator, whose “indif ferent track record” prompted
party workers in his con stituency to hold special prayers to stop him getting a ticket, died this morning, four days after the appeal for divine intervention.

Polur Varadhan, 59, MLA from Chengam in Thiru vannamali district, 200km from here, had been admitted to a Chennai hospital on Monday.

This morning he suffered a heart attack and died in the hospital.Varadhan’s application to contest again from Chengam had run into furious opposition from party cadres because of his “inaction” in serving the constituency. Local Congress leaders had even conducted special prayers at a temple to stop his re-nomination.

Today, his detractors said they would hold a condolence meeting.

“We wanted him to be punished politically for his in action. This is not what we expected or hoped for. We will conduct a condolence meeting in his constituency,” said Congress district secretary K.

Venkatachalam who had organised the prayer last Sunday. The state Congress has an
nounced a three-day mourn ing for Varadhan, who was also convener of the state unit’s SC/ST cell.