M. Karunanidhi, popularly known as "Kalaignar" Karunanidhi கலைஞர் மு. கருணாநிதி born June 3, 1924, is an Indian politician and the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He is the head of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, a political party in the state of Tamil Nadu, as well as a poet. He has headed the leader of the DMK since the death of its founder C.N. Annadurai in 1969. He has been the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu five times 1969-71, 1971-76, 1989-91, 1996-2001 and 2006-present. He holds the record of winning his seat in every election that he has fought in his political career spanning over 60 years.[3] In the 2004 Lok Sabha Elections, he led the DMK-led DPA (UPA and Left Parties) in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to win all 40 Lok Sabha seats. In the following 2009 Lok Sabha Elections, he was able to increase the number of seats for the DMK from 16 to 18 seats, and led the UPA in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, to win 28 seats, even with a significantly smaller coalition.
He was born in an Isai Vellalar caste as Dakshinamurthy to Thiru Muthuvelar and Thirumathi Anjugam Ammaiyar on June 3, 1924 at Thirukkuvalai in the Tanjore District, now Tiruvarur Tamil Nadu, India.
