Bengaluru, July 29 (IANS): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will attend the last rites of former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu on Thursday, a state official said on Wednesday.

"The chief minister will represent the 60 million people of Karnataka at the state funeral of Kalam at Rameswaram," the official told IANS here. He will return on Thursday afternoon.

Kalam died of cardiac arrest on Monday in Meghalaya capital Shillong. He was 83.

"Siddaramaiah will fly to Madurai by a special aircraft on Thursday morning and take a helicopter to reach Mandapam in Ramanathapuram district. He will travel by road to the venue where Kalam will be laid to rest," the official said.

State information minister Roshan Baig is likely to accompany Siddaramaiah.

"As Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many other dignitaries will also be present on the occasion, the chief minister will not be able to visit Kalam's house in the town due to security constraints," the official added.