The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam is an Indian regional political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is a Dravidian party founded by the former leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, Vijayakant, at Madurai on 14 September 2005. The party was led by its founder until 14 December 2023 from its date of founding. From 14 December 2023, the DMDK is led by Vijayakant's wife Premallatha Vijayakant as general secretary of the party. The party served as the main opposition party in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 27 May 2011 to 21 February 2016. The headquarters of the party is located at Jawaharlal Nehru Salai, Koyambedu, Chennai.
The thirteenth legislative assembly election, of Tamil Nadu was held on 8 May 2006. It was held for all 234 constituencies to elect the government in the state for the following five years. The votes were counted three days later on 11 May 2006 and all the results were out by the end of the day. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led (DMK) front won the elections, with the DMK emerging as the single-largest party with 96 seats, and its leader, M Karunanidhi was sworn in as Chief Minister for a fifth and final term. This election marked the first time the state saw a hung assembly with no party gaining a majority of its own. As a result, DMK formed a minority government with its allies, which is the first in the state since the 1952 election. 13th Assembly was instituted due to this election.
Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, also known as Parithi Ellamvazhuthi, was an Indian politician. Born as Gandhi to Elamparithi and Kannammal. His father Elamparithi was a DMK High Command member during 1970's & 80's. At a very young age, he was attracted to the ideologies of DMK and chose to have political journey.
K. K. S. S. R. Ramachandran is an Indian politician and the current Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management, Government of Tamil Nadu. He had also been the minister for Backward Classes between 2006 and 2011 in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, India. He has been an MLA 9 times which record he holds with senior members like Duraimurugan and K. A. Sengottaiyan among currently serving MLAs, with a political career spanning over 40 years. His full name is Kopalapuram Kanthasamy Subbu Reddiyar Ranganathan Ramachandran.
Ethirajulu Vajjaravelu or E. V. Velu is an Indian politician who has been serving as the Minister of Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports in the M. K. Stalin ministry of the state of Tamil Nadu since 2021. He formerly served as the Minister for Food in the state under M. Karunanidhi (2006–2011).
Panruti S. Ramachandran is an Indian politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu.
Anitha R. Radhakrishnan is an Indian politician, Minister of Tamil Nadu and Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elected from Tiruchendur constituency as AIADMK candidate in 2001, 2006 and as DMK candidate in 2009 (By-election), 2011, 2016 and 2021. He was also former Minister for Animal Husbandry and Minister for Housing & Urban Development in the 2001 AIADMK government.
S. Jennifer Chandran was an Indian politician and was a Member of the Legislative Assembly. She was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate from Tiruchendur constituency in the 1996 election.
V. Karuppasamy Pandian is an Indian politician and a former Member of the Legislative Assembly in Tamil Nadu. He is currently one of the leaders of the anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) party in Tirunelveli district.
Durai Chandrasekaran is an Indian politician and incumbent Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He was elected four times to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate from Tiruvaiyaru constituency in the 1989, 1996, 2006 and 2016 elections. He lost the seat to P. Kaliyaperumal of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in the 1991 election and to K. Ayyaru Vandayar of the same party in 2001.
Gomathi Srinivasan is an Indian politician and was Minister of Social Welfare in the Government of Tamil Nadu between 1980 and 1987, as well as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
P U Shanmugam, affectionately called as Paa Vuu Saa was an Indian politician and former minister of Tamil Nadu for Internal affairs, former minister of Public works, former minister of public health and various other portfolios on various tenures. The Dravidian veteran also worked as the Organisation Secretary of DMK and the 3rd General Secretary of AIADMK. He defeated the Indian National Congress candidate in Tiruvannamalai Assembly constituency by-election in 1963 on DMK ticket.
K. Pitchandi, also known as K. Pichandi, is an Indian politician and the current Deputy Speaker of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. A. K. Aranganathan only who defeated K. Pitchandi in 2011. Pitchandi continues to be the speaker. His record was broken in 2011 - 2016.
P. K. Sekar Babu is an Indian politician and Minister of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. Currently, he is elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly from Harbour as a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate in 2016 and 2021 elections. He won his first two elections from R k Nagar constituency as an AIADMK candidate.
C. Gnanasekaran is an Indian politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly from Vellore constituency as an Indian National Congress candidate in 1991 and 2006 elections and as a Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) candidate in 1996, and 2001 elections.
R. S. Raja Kannappan, formerly known as S. Kannappan, is an Indian politician and Minister for Backward Classes Welfare and Higher Education. He also served as the Minister for Khadi and Village Industries from 2022 to 2023, Minister of Transport, Nationalised Transport, Motor Vehicles Act in the period 2021- March 2022 and also former Minister of Public Works, Highways and Electricity during 1991–1996. He joined the party DMK in Feb. 2020.
S. Gunasekaran is an Indian politician and a former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu from Sivaganga constituency.
C. Chandrasekaran is an Indian politician and a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu.
L. Santhanam is an Indian politician and was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate from Sholavandan constituency in the 1996 election and from the Usilampatti constituency in 2001 as a candidate of the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB). He stood again for the Sholavandan seat in the 2006, this time as a candidate for the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and lost to P. Moorthy of the DMK.
K. Kannaiyan is an Indian politician and was a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the state of Tamil Nadu.
