Chennai,  Former Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam's younger brother O. Balamurugan passed away at Periyakulam in Theni district on Friday morning.

Balamurugan, 56, was a cancer patient and had undergone treatment at Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cancer Centre.

Panneerselvam will reach Periyakulam by road from Madurai.

Balamurugan had tested Covid positive a month ago but then recovered after treatment at home and later tested negative.

Balamurugan is the second of the three younger brothers of Panneerselvam and is the fourth of the six siblings. He is survived by his wife and a daughter.

Panneerselvam had airlifted Balamurugan from Madurai to Chennai for a medical emergency in an Indian Air Force flight AN- 32 getting a special approval from the Defence ministry

The former Deputy Chief Minister had also paid an amount of Rs 14.95 lakh as charges.

Balamurugan was a farmer and never indulged in the arena of politics.