Kanimozhi named parliamentary party leader of DMK

Kanimozhi, elected as MP from the Thoothukudi Lok Sabha constituency, has been appointed as the DMK's parliamentary party leader.

In the outgoing 17th Lok Sabha, she was the Deputy Leader of the party in the house, now she has been elevated as the parliamentary party leader, which is above the party's floor leader in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The post becomes more crucial as there would be hectic parleys between ruling and opposition sides in Parliament as the BJP could not get a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha polls.


Kanimozhi, 56, replaced veteran DMK leader TR Baalu, who will continue to head the party in the Lok Sabha and was representing the party at the meeting of the INDIA bloc parties.

Kanimozhi's appointment is being seen as an attempt by Tamil Nadu's first family to keep the key post with itself while party leaders claimed that she has been awarded for her active campaigning during the Lok Sabha polls across the state.

In Delhi's political circles, her elevation is seen as being projected as the DMK's interface for national politics.

Before getting this post, she was already getting due importance from political leaders across the parties. In January 2022, on her birthday she got a call from Amit Shah at the time when DMK leaders were waiting to meet him.

Kanimozhi, a poet and writer, worked with an English daily before entering politics.

She entered politics and became Rajya Sabha member in 2007 after the demise of Murasoli Maran. She was seen as an envoy of her father and then DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Karunanidhi.

DMK was a key partner of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre.

Her appointment was also the result of fall out between Maran brothers - sons of Murasoli Maran and the first family of DMK.

Her low point in public life came when she was arrested for her alleged involvement in the 2G scam in 2011.

In February this year, there were also reports of tension between Kanimozhi and Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of current Tamil Nadu chief minister and Kanimozhi's half-brother MK Stalin, but now with her being made the DMK parliamentary leader, all speculations of a rift have been put to rest while Kanimozhi continues to rise in the political circles of Delhi.