Former Rajya Sabha member and DMK leader N Rajendran was found dead in his car in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin district on Wednesday. The police suspect he committed suicide.
The 62-year-old politician had represented J Jayalalithaa's AIADMK in the Rajya Sabha between 1995 and 2001, and had later moved to the DMK.
His body was found with a bullet wound in a car parked near a bus stand in Kovilpatti on Wednesday, according to the Press Trust of India.
The police suspect he shot himself, though why he may have committed suicide is not known.
Reports suggest Rajendran may have faced business losses and also had domestic problems.
He was the treasurer of DMK's Tuticorin district unit for a few years, but had reportedly stayed away from politics in recent years.
He is survived by his wife and daughters.