Overview
- He died early Sunday at his Ram Nagar residence in Thanjavur, with reports placing his age at either 91 or 92.
- His last rites are scheduled Monday at his native place, and he had lived with family since 2006 due to age-related ailments.
- A DMK stalwart from his student days, he joined under C. N. Annadurai, took part in the 1960s anti-Hindi agitations, and was detained under MISA during the Emergency.
- His legislative career included the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council, assembly wins in 1967, 1971 and 1989, a Rajya Sabha term from 1980 to 1986, and a 2004 Lok Sabha victory from Tiruchi.
- He left the DMK to co-found Vaiko’s MDMK, was removed in 2006 and expelled in 2008 after defying a party whip, then rejoined the DMK and was honored as “Mozhipor Thalapathy.”