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Karunanidhi marks 50 years in politics
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is all set to celebrate 50 years in electoral politics of one of India's veteran politicians - Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi.
- IANS
- Published: 00:00 March 25, 2007
Chennai: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is all set to celebrate 50 years in electoral politics of one of India's veteran politicians - Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi.
One of the few who have never personally lost an election, the DMK wants to pay fullsome tribute to Karunanidhi with a string of events that will also involve President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Congress president Sonia Gandhi among others.
The DMK has constituted a committee to oversee the celebrations, headed by Tamil Nadu Finance Minister K. Anbazhagan, a contemporary and long-time colleague of the 83-year-old leader. Abdul Kalam will be urged to address the Tamil Nadu assembly and felicitate Karunanidhi on the floor of the house in the second week of May, it is learnt.
Besides Sonia, the committee will also invite former prime minister V.P. Singh, communist leaders Prakash Karat and A.B. Bhardan to address a public meeting in Chennai on May 10.
Propaganda committee
Literary meets and seminars on Karunanidhi's political contribution will also be recognised.
A propaganda committee member of Dravida Kazhagam when the late C.N. Annadurai founded the DMK in 1949, Karunanidhi can be called a founding father of the DMK. He has been elected to the Tamil Nadu assembly for 50 years now.
In the process, Karunanidhi has literally become a phenomenon that has taken the party to Fort St George - the seat of power in Tamil Nadu - decade after decade, and given DMK numerous seats in successive Lok Sabha elections.
Karunanidhi made his electoral debut in 1957, representing Kulithalai in Karur district of Tamil Nadu in the assembly. He was re-elected from Thanjavur in 1962. Then he decided that Chennai was the place to be in, if he was to be in the centre stage of Dravidian politics. He contested from Saidapet in 1967. Ever since he has used constituencies in Chennai to return to the state assembly election after election.
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