In Tamil Nadu, the State Minister of Sports, Youth and Family Welfare, C. Karuppusamy died on Saturday after a brief illness at a private city hospital. He was 56 and is survived by his wife and a daughter and a son.Mr. Karupppusamy was elected four times from the Sankaran kovil constituency. Remarkably, he was one among the four AIADMK MLAs who were elected in 1996 when the party was routed in the state.Chief Minister Ms.Jayalalithaa has expressed grief at his death. In a condolence message released in Chennai, she expressed her regrets at the passing away of a loving brother and a long time loyalist of the AIADMK.In his condolence message, Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah said that the death of Mr. Karuppusamy is an irreparable loss to the state and the people of Sankarankoil in particular.