Even as DMK patriarch, M Karunanidhi battled for his life, the Kauvery Hospital had been seeing a steady stream of top politicians from across the political spectrum.
His supporters, including second line party leaders, performed poojas and other rituals for his speedy recovery even as medical bulletins hinted at decline in condition. On Tuesday evening, the last bulletin read – Karunanidhi, No More.
Karunanidhi had been in hospital since he was admitted following a dip in his blood pressure.
As DMK president his innings was unparalleled. His son and party working president M.K. Stalin hailed him as a lynchpin of the party.
It was only recently that DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi on July 27 became the first leader to enter the 50th year as president of the party.
The ex CM was elected party president on July 27, 1969. Five months before that, on February 10, 1969, he was elected the legislature party leader of the DMK and became the Chief Minister of the State following the death of party founder C.N. Annadurai.
Karunanidhi stood out for his ability to steer through the rough and tumble of Tamil Nadu politics and got general opinion in his favour, his far-sightedness, quick wit, command over Tamil language and extraordinary memory power caught the eye of many people, says a media report.
Sensing future criticism he had compared himself with Franklin D. Roosevelt, the only U.S. president to be elected to a fourth term.
When an Esquire cartoon mocked Roosevelt, Karunanidhi had famously said, “Here also, some newspaper barons, mill owners, rich persons and aristocrats have discovered a bad word. In their view, Karunanidhi is a bad word.”
Karunanidhi’s role as one at the helm of the DMK has been well recorded for his leadership quality as he kept the party intact after the revolt of MGR, steering it through Emergency and 10 years of MGR’s reign later tiding over a crisis triggered by Vaiko’s exit.
After taking charge as DMK president on July 27, 1969, he led the DMK to a massive victory in the 1971 Assembly elections. He dared to refuse to buckle under pressure and gave up the party president’s post during the Emergency.
By 1980, he had tied up with the Congress, which dismissed his government in 1976, in the Lok Sabha elections and got the M.G. Ramachandran government sacked.
While he parted with 50% of the seats in the same year to the Congress in Assembly elections the alliance came a cropper and MGR won.
Despite a drubbing in 1989 Lok Sabha election, he was able to get a Cabinet berth for nephew Murasoli Maran in the National Front government headed by V.P. Singh
Stitching up an alliance with the Tamil Maanila Congress — a Congress splinter group headed by G.K. Moopanar in 1996 helped the party come to power. He joined the Deve Gowda-led United Front government at the Centre.
By 1999, he had joined hands with the BJP and became a part of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
Later on in 2004 he tied up with the grand old party securing a landslide win in Lok Sabha elections. The alliance continued in 2009.
Going solo in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls he faced a major loss.
By 2016, under his tutelage and guidance, DMK earned the dubious distinction of becoming the largest Opposition party in Tamil Nadu Assembly.
As Tamil Nadu sees a shift from the era of Amma and Kalaignar to that of fresh blood, it would be interesting to see how the new generation of Tamil politics plays out in the coming times.
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