“Kalaignar Karunanidhi is my leader,” thundered Tamil Nadus most popular politician and matinee idol, M.G. Ramachandran, when an AIADMK MLA addressed him as Karunanidhi. This was the bonhomie that Karunanidhi and MGR shared even as they fought against each other in a bitter political turf leading the DMK and AIADMK.
It was on October 17, 1972 that Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) was formed which later transformed into All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
The party was formed in Madurai but the reason was the clash of ego between the two super stars of the DMK, Kalaignar Karunanidhi and MG Ramachandran.
Karunanidhi and MGR were complimenting each other with a fledging actor like the latter getting a new lease of life in celluloid through the script of Karunanidhi in the movie ‘Rajeswari’ that became a super duper hit and it led to the emergence of MGR as a super star in Tamil Nadu. Buoyed by the success of the movie, they partnered in several other movies thus leading to a friendship that was eternal and complimentary.
After the demise of C.N. Annadurai, the first DMK Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on February 3, 1969, it was Era Nedunchezian who was next in line in the party to succeed the great Dravidian leader. However it was Karunanidhi who got the mantle to lead the party and the government and it was courtesy the support he had from MGR.
In return, MGR was made the treasurer of the DMK by Karunanidhi.
Karunanidhi was credited for discovering the struggling MGR into a major actor in Tamil movies but after he ensured that the DMK was winning by a massive margin, he felt the presence of MGR in the party very uncomfortable. In a public programme at Madurai, after the speech of MGR, the crowd dispersed without listening to Chief Minister Karunanidhi, leading to the increase in extended ego between the two leaders.
The fight on the turf has begun and AIADMK under the leadership of MGR grew from strength to strength and Karunanidhi often addressed MGR as Judas and villain to which MGR retorted by comparing Karunanidhi as a ‘dark force’.
MGR had even pressed for a merger with Karunanidhi and common friends had worked behind the scene to settle the differences and merge and before swearing in as Chief Minister on June 30, 1977, MGR had expressed his interest for a merger. It was not to be and later, MGR charged Karunanidhi with murder and conspiracy charges for the DMK’s demonstration against former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s visit to Madurai in 1977. Karunanidhi was arrested and jailed for 40 days which led to agitations by the DMK which often turned violent.
Karunanidhi even charged MGR of having indulged in corruption by buying ships from Bulgaria and MGR offered to resign even if he had done any wrong. In 1980, Karunanidhi entered into an alliance with Indira Gandhi and MGR’s government was dismissed but in the ensuing elections it was MGR and AIADMK all the way with a huge mandate.
However the bonhomie between the two continued in private and MGR had asked the government machinery to arrange an ambulance when Karunanidhi took a 200 km march against MGR government. when MGR became ill in October 1984, Karunanidhi wrote a moving appeal stating that prayer meant appeal and he would pray for him to recover even though he was an atheist.
Another major issue between the two was the presence of Jayalalithaa who was brought by MGR to the party in June 1982 and the fight between Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi was bitter and no bonhomie was there between the two.
Jayalalithaa headed the AIADMK from February 9, 1989 till her demise on December 5, 2016m and was totally against Karunanidhi and his family. She has even arrested Karunanidhi in 2001 along with Union Ministers Murasoli Maran and T.R. Baalu, an act which was the first time in the history of the country wherein a Union minister was arrested by the Tamil Nadu state police.
After the passing away of Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016 and Karunanidhi on August 7, 2018, the fight between the DMK and AIADMK has come down with personality clashes becoming less and less and AIADMK becoming much weaker after O. Panneerselvam was expelled from the party.
It has to be seen in the days to come how the AIADMK will structure itself before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as DMK under Stalin is going from strength to strength.
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