vijayakanth

Chennai mourns the demise of ‘Captain’ Vijayakanth, the actor and founder of DMDK

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On Thursday, Vijayakanth, the founder and leader of DMDK, breathed his last in Chennai at the age of 71

 

Officials from Miot Hospital in Chennai confirmed the passing of Vijayakanth, stating that he had been admitted for pneumonia and received ventilator support.

The hospital released a statement, saying, “Captain Vijaykanth was placed on ventilatory support after being admitted for pneumonia. Despite the dedicated efforts of the medical staff, he succumbed to the illness on the morning of December 28, 2023.”

Prior to this announcement, Vijayakanth’s party had indicated in a statement that he had tested positive for coronavirus. Hospital sources revealed that this statement was made even before the results of the second round of samples were available, according to PTI.

Having faced health challenges and maintaining a low profile for the past 4-5 years, Vijayakanth’s wife, Premalatha, officially assumed leadership of the DMDK on December 14. She was declared the general secretary during a party meeting in Chennai.

Affectionately known as “Captain” for his portrayals of military characters on screen, Vijayakanth carved out a versatile and successful career in cinema, starring in 154 films before transitioning to politics.

In 2005, he founded the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) with the objective of offering an alternative political platform in Tamil Nadu, challenging the established Dravidian parties such as the DMK and AIADMK.

The DMDK marked its electoral debut in the 2006 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections. Contesting independently, the party secured a significant number of seats, solidifying its presence as a formidable player in the state’s political arena.

In the 2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, Vijayakanth’s party made history by surpassing the DMK in seat count, emerging as the primary Opposition Party that year.

From 2011 to 2016, Vijayakanth held the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the DMDK participated as part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but did not attain notable success.

Internal challenges, including the defection of key leaders, adversely affected the DMDK’s electoral performance in subsequent elections.

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