At 82, The Comeback Kid
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
C N Annadurai, or Anna as he is famously known, parts ways with 'Periyar' E V Ramaswamy Naicker in 1949 after the latter refuses to contest elections. Anna walks away with his supporters, one of whom is Karunanidhi, and starts a new party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
The DMK contests the first assembly election in Tamil Nadu in 1957. Karunanidhi contests the Kulithalai seat and win the first electoral battle of his career. Nearly 50 years later, he has yet to lose an election.
Even when the DMK is routed in the 1991 election after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, Karunanidhi wins his seat. He is his party's lone winner.
The DMK launches its anti-Hindi campaign in 1957. Karunanidhi describes Hindi as 'the food that came in a carrier from a hotel; English as the food made by a cook, and Tamil as the food cooked by a mother who knows her family's needs and preferences.' Twenty years later, Karunanidhi and the DMK become part of the central government when the Janata Party wins office, sharing power with those from the Hindi belt he abuses during the anti-Hindi agitation.
In 1967, the DMK, under Anna's leadership, sweeps the assembly election and ends the 20-year rule of the Congress. Anna becomes chief minister, V R Nedunchezhiyan is the DMK general secretary, Karunanidhi its treasurer.
Also See: DMK poll manifesto is 'hero of 2006': Chidambaram