V. R. Nedunchezhiyan

Nedunchezhiyan was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu in 1962 and in 1967 became a cabinet minister when the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam took power. He was briefly acting Chief Minister for the state following C. N. Annadurai's death in 1969, taking the role until M. Karunanidhi was appointed. He then continued as a cabinet minister in the Karunanidhi cabinet until the DMK lost power in 1976.[1]

Together with Sathyavani Muthu, Nedunchezhiyan left the DMK to form a new political party called the Makkal Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam but this did not last long. The party merged with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which was by then in government, in 1978 and from 1980 Nedunchezhiyan was again a cabinet minister, this time under the leadership of AIADMK's M. G. Ramachandran. He held the position of Finance Minister from 1980 to 1987 and once again became acting Chief Minister in the latter year when Ramachandran died. He was a candidate in the subsequent leadership election but lost to Ramachandran's wife, Janaki Ramachandran.[1]

Nedunchezhiyan briefly aligned himself with the J. Jayalalithaa-led group within the AIADMK but was expelled from the party in 1988 after disputes with its leaders. He stood in the 1989 state elections and later that year returned to the party fold after Jayalalithaa had successfully reunified it. He remained loyal to her thereafter and served as Finance Minister again between 1991 and 1996.[1]

He died of heart failure in hospital on 12 January 2000. He was survived by his wife, Visalakshi, and a son.[1]

• Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly