Chennai : Former Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker Paul Hector Pandian passed away at a private hospital in Chennai on Saturday. Pandian, 74, had been ill for several months. He is survived by five children.

Pandian, a veteran AIADMK leader who served as MP and MLA, was TN Speaker from 1985 to 1989. He is known to have often proclaimed that the Speaker had “sky-high powers”.

Pandian was appointed Speaker during MGR’s tenure as CM. A noted advocate, he was later made Jayalalithaa’s legal counsel after she took over the party reins.

Pandian was among the few senior AIADMK leaders who rebelled against Sasikala’s promotion as AIADMK general secretary following Jayalalithaa’s death in December 2016, and had backed Panneerselvam’s rise in the party.

He stirred controversy in 2017 when he claimed, during a press conference, that Jayalalithaa had died under suspicious circumstances. He had also demanded a probe into her death.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam condoled his death, saying it was an irreparable loss to the party.

Pandian’s funeral is likely to be held on Sunday.