The 72-year-old minister had tested positive on October 13 for the highly infectious disease and breathed his last on Saturday night, Kauvery Hospital Executive Director Dr. Aravdindan Selvaraj said in a medical bulletin.
“With deep grief, we announce the sad demise of Honourable Minister for Agriculture R Doraikkannu,” on Saturday at 11.15 pm, he said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the grieving family during this difficult period,” he added.
Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, who had also tested positive for coronavirus in August, paid tributes to the minister. R Doraikkannu "was known for his simplicity, humbleness, straightforwardness, governance skills and commitment towards the welfare of the farming community. He handled the Ministry of Agriculture with full dedication and engraved his strong mark. His untimely demise is an irreparable loss to the people of Tamil Nadu and particularly to the AIADMK party," the Governor was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Last evening, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had visited him in the hospital.
His CT scan had shown 90 per cent lung involvement vis-a-vis the infection and he was put on ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) and ventilator.
Doraikkannu was elected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly from Papanasam in Thanjavur district in 2006, 2011, and 2016, with the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa inducting him in the cabinet in 2016.
On October 13, the minister experienced unease when he was on his way to attend the funeral of Davusayammal, Chief Minister K Palaniswami’s mother, who had died at the age of 93 at Salem.
Doraikkannu, who was travelling in his car, was rushed to the government medical college hospital in Villupuram and from there was shifted to Kauvery hospital the same day.
(With inputs from PTI)