DMDK founder and leader, Vijayakanth, passed away in Chennai at the age of 71 on Thursday. His demise was confirmed by officials at Miot Hospital, where he had been admitted for pneumonia and received ventilator support.
The hospital released a statement saying, "Captain Vijaykanth was on ventilatory support following his admission for pneumonia. Despite the best efforts of medical staff, he passed away in the morning on 28th December 2023."
Vijayakanth's party had earlier announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19, though this statement was made before the results of the second round of samples were available.
Over the past 4-5 years, Vijayakanth had been unwell and maintained a low profile. On December 14, his wife, Premalatha, formally took over the leadership of the DMDK as she was declared the general secretary at a party meeting in Chennai.
Known as "Captain" due to his portrayal of military characters on screen, Vijayakanth enjoyed a successful career in cinema, featuring in 154 movies before entering politics. In 2005, he founded the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) with the aim of providing an alternative political platform in Tamil Nadu, challenging established Dravidian parties like the DMK and AIADMK.
The DMDK made its electoral debut in the 2006 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, winning a significant number of seats independently. In the 2011 elections, the party surpassed the DMK and became the principal Opposition Party, with Vijayakanth serving as the leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly from 2011 to 2016.