DMK President M. K. Stalin led a delegation of senior party leaders and MLAs on Monday to pay floral tributes at the iconic statue of C. N. Annadurai, the towering figure who founded the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and served as Tamil Nadu's first chief minister from the DMK banner.
The procession reached Valluvarkottam, a prominent memorial ground along the Marina Beach shoreline in Chennai, where the life-size statue of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy and Annadurai stands as a symbol of Dravidian political ideology. Stalin laid a wreath at the statue alongside other top party dignitaries who had gathered for the ceremony.
Annadurai, popularly known as Anna, was one of the most influential political voices in Tamil Nadu's history. He rose from being a prominent orator and writer to becoming the architect of modern Dravidian politics. He led the DMK to a decisive victory in the 1967 state assembly elections, ending the long dominance of the Indian National Congress in Tamil Nadu, and subsequently became the state's chief minister in 1969. His contributions to the promotion of the Tamil language, social justice, and the Dravidian identity movement continue to shape the political landscape of the state decades after his passing.
Valluvarkottam has long served as a spiritual and political home for DMK leaders, with annual visits to the Annadurai statue being a regular tradition during party events and important occasions. Monday's tribute followed the customary practice of paying homage to the party founder, reinforcing ideological continuity between the old guard and the current leadership.
Senior MLAs and party workers from across Chennai accompanied Stalin to the memorial, underscoring the organizational strength of the DMK in the state capital. The gathering also provided an opportunity for party leaders to reaffirm their commitment to the egalitarian and anti-caste principles that Annadurai championed throughout his career.
