Veteran CPM leader N Sankaraiah passes away

Chennai: Veteran CPM leader N Sankaraiah passed away here on Wednesday. He was 102.
One of the founding members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Sankaraiah was among the 32 members who walked out from a Communist Party of India's (CPI) National Council meeting in 1964, accusing then party chairman S A Dange and his followers of 'anti-unity and anti-Communist policies'. This led to the breakup of CPI and the formation of CPM.

He was one of the founders of Madras Students organisation and was elected secretary of Madurai Students Union. He was arrested during the freedom struggle in 1941 and released a day before India's  independence in 1947. 
He was elected to Tamil Nadu legislative assembly twice from the Madurai West constituency in 1967 and from Madurai East constituency in 1977 and 1980.