Kumarasami Kamaraj better known as K. Kamaraj (15 July 1903 – 2 October 1975) was an Indian politician from
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
widely acknowledged as the "Kingmaker" in Indian politics during the 1960s. He was the
chief minister of Tamil Nadu during 1954-1963 and a Member of
ParliamentThe Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
during 1952-1954 and 1969-1975. He was known for his simplicity and integrity.
He was involved in the
Indian independence movementThe term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
. As a high ranking office bearer of the
Indian National CongressThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, he was instrumental in bringing to power two Prime Ministers,
Lal Bahadur ShastriLal Bahadur Srivastava Shastri was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of India and a significant figure in the Indian independence movement.-Early life:...
in 1964 and
Indira GandhiIndira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
in 1966. In
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, his home state, he is still remembered for bringing school education to millions of the rural poor by introducing free education and the free Mid-day Meal Scheme during his tenure as chief minister. He was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the
Bharat RatnaBharat Ratna is the Republic of India's highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service. This service includes artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as "recognition of public service of the highest order." Unlike knights, holders of the Bharat Ratna...
, posthumously in 1976. The domestic terminal of the
ChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
airport is named "Kamaraj Terminal", Chennai's Beach Road renamed "Kamarajar Salai", Bengaluru's North Parade Road as "K. Kamaraj Rd." and the
Madurai Kamaraj UniversityMadurai Kamaraj University also abbreviated MKU is a public university in India.-Overview:Madurai Kamaraj University, located in Madurai city established in 1966, has 18 schools comprising 72 departments. The Directorate of Distance Education of the University has a student strength of about 1.3...
in his honour.
Early life
Kamaraj was born on 15 July 1903 to Kumarasamy
NadarNadar is one of the prominent castes of Tamil Nadu, South India. The term, Nadar, in Tamil literally means one who rules the land. The Nadars are also commonly called as Annachi . Nadars are an entrepreneurial south Indian caste and constitute 12% of Tamil Nadu's population...
and Sivakami Ammal at
VirudhunagarVirudhunagar is a municipality in Virudhunagar district of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.In the beginning of 20th century AD, Virudhupatti was one among the six important places of Ramanathapuram District. Due to the rapid growth in the field of Trade and Education, it was renamed as...
in
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. His parents were from a trading family. His father Kumarasamy Nadar, was a coconut merchant. Kamaraj was initially enrolled in the Enadhy Nayanar Vidyalaya elementary school, and later in high school Kshatriya Vidyalaya. Kamaraj's father died when he was six years old and his mother was forced to support her family by selling her jewellery. In 1914, Kamaraj dropped out of school to support his family.
Start in politics and freedom struggle
Kamaraj joined as an apprentice in his maternal uncle Karuppiah's cloth shop after dropping out of school. He would slip out from the shop to join processions and attend public meetings addressed by orators like Dr.
P. Varadarajulu NaiduPerumal Varadarajulu Naidu was an Indian physician, politician, journalist and Indian independence activist.- Early life :...
. His relatives frowned upon Kamaraj's budding interest in politics. They sent him to
ThiruvananthapuramThiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
to work at another uncle's timer shop.
At the age of 16, Kamaraj enrolled himself as full-time worker of the Congress Party. He invited speakers, organized meetings and collected funds for the party. He also participated in the march to
VedaranyamVedaranyam is a municipality in Nagapattinam district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Geography:Vedaraniyam is located at . It has an average elevation of .-Demographics:...
led by
C. RajagopalachariChakravarti Rajagopalachari , informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India...
as part of the
Salt SatyagrahaThe Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagrahah began with the Dandi March on March 12, 1930, and was an important part of the Indian independence movement. It was a campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly in colonial India, and triggered the wider...
of March 1930.
Kamaraj was arrested and sent to
Alipore JailThe Alipore Jail or Alipore Central Jail is a prison in Alipore, Kolkata, where political prisoners were kept under British rule, among them Subhash Chandra Bose. It is still in operation. It also houses the Alipore Jail Press.-Notable inmates:* Sri Aurobindo , imprisoned after the Alipore bomb case...
in Calcutta for two years. He was 27 at the time of his arrest and was released in 1931 following the
Gandhi-Irwin PactGandhi–Irwin Pact refers to a political agreement signed by Mahatma Gandhi and the then Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin on 5 March 1931 before the second Round Table Conference in London...
. Kamaraj was implicated in the
VirudhunagarVirudhunagar is a municipality in Virudhunagar district of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.In the beginning of 20th century AD, Virudhupatti was one among the six important places of Ramanathapuram District. Due to the rapid growth in the field of Trade and Education, it was renamed as...
bomb case two years later. Dr
P. Varadarajulu NaiduPerumal Varadarajulu Naidu was an Indian physician, politician, journalist and Indian independence activist.- Early life :...
and George Joseph argued on Kamaraj's behalf and proved the charges to be baseless. Kamaraj was arrested again in 1940 and sent to
Vellore Central PrisonVellore Central Prison is a prison in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.It is the largest Jail in the dist. Convicts sentenced to imprisonment are confined in the jail from various districts of the Presidency as well as from Burma. Many prisoners sentenced to transpiration by the courts of this...
while he was on his way to
WardhaWardha is a city and a municipal council in Wardha district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Wardha district. Wardha gets its name from the Wardha River which flows at the North, West and South boundaries of district. Founded in 1866, the town is now an...
to get Gandhiji's approval for a list of
satyagrahisSatyagraha , loosely translated as "insistence on truth satya agraha soul force" or "truth force" is a particular philosophy and practice within the broader overall category generally known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term "satyagraha" was conceived and developed by Mahatma...
.
While still in jail, Kamaraj was elected Chairman of the
Municipal CouncilA municipal council is the local government of a municipality. Specifically the term can refer to the institutions of various countries that can be translated by this term...
of Virudhunagar. Upon his release nine months later Kamaraj went straight to the
MunicipalityA municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and tendered his resignation from his post. He felt that "one should not accept any post to which one could not do full justice."
Kamaraj was arrested one more time in 1942 and sentenced to three years in the Amaravathi prison for spreading propaganda material for the
Quit India movementThe Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
initiated by Gandhiji. While in prison, Kamaraj read books and continued his self-education.
In 1945 C. Rajagopalachari tried to make a comeback within the Congress organisation in Tamil Nadu. He had the support of Gandhi and Sardar Patel, but the majority of members in the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee opposed him. A conference was held in Tirupparankundram in which the leadership should be elected. Chaos broke about during the conference as warring factions confronted each other. Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar interrupted the disputes and passed a motion re-electing Kamaraj as the TNCC President.
With Satyamurti
Kamaraj's political guru and inspiration was
S. SatyamurtiS. Satyamurti was an Indian politician and patriot. A protege of S. Srinivasa Iyengar, Satyamurti was the political mentor of Kumaraswami Kamaraj....
, orator and parliamentarian. Satyamurti found in Kamaraj "an efficient, loyal, indefatigable worker and skillful organizer (p. 147, Pakshirajan)." Both developed a deep friendship and complemented each others' skills. In 1936, Satyamurti was elected President of the Provincial Congress Committee and he appointed Kamaraj the General Secretary. Four years later they swapped positions. The party base was strengthened under their leadership. So deep was Kamaraj's devotion to Satyamurti that when India gained independence, he first went to Satyamurti's house and hoisted the Indian flag there. On his election as
Chief MinisterA Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
of Tamil Nadu, Kamaraj went to Satyamurti's house and garlanded his photo and paid his respects to the leader's widow.
Chief Ministership
On 13 April 1954, K. Kamaraj became the Chief Minister of Madras Province. To everyone's surprise, Kamaraj nominated C. Subramaniam and M. Bhakthavatsalam, who had contested his leadership, to the newly formed cabinet. Never did Kamaraj aspire for any post in the party or in the administration. For him the posts were like a towel over the shoulder . Without any hesitation he chose to quit posts for the benefit of future generation .
Education
Kamaraj removed the family vocation based
Hereditary Education PolicyThe Modified Scheme of Elementary Education or New Scheme of Elementary Education or Madras Scheme of Elementary Education dubbed by its critics as Kula Kalvi Thittam , was an abortive attempt at education reform introduced by the Indian National Congress Government of the Madras State, led by C....
introduced by Rajaji. He reopened the 6000 schools closed by previous government for financial reasons and also added 12000 more schools. The State made immense strides in education and trade. New schools were opened, so that poor rural students were to walk no more than 3 miles (4.8 km) to their nearest school. Better facilities were added to existing ones. No village remained without a primary school and no panchayat without a high school. Kamaraj strove to eradicate illiteracy by introducing free and compulsory education up to the eleventh standard. He introduced the Mid-day Meal Scheme to provide at least one meal per day to the lakhs of poor school children (first time in the world). He introduced free school uniforms to weed out caste, creed and class distinctions among young minds.
During British regime the education was only 7 percent. But in Kamaraj's period it was 37% . During Rajaji's period there were 12000 schools in the state. Whereas it was 27000 in the period of Kamaraj.
Apart from increasing number of schools, steps were taken to improve standard of education. To improve the standards number of working day were increased from 180 to 200. Unnecessary holidays were reduced. Syllabus were prepared to give opportunity to various abilities.
Kamaraj and Sri Bishnuram Medhi (Governor) took efforts to start the IIT Madras in 1959.
Agriculture
Major irrigation schemes were planned in Kamaraj's period . Lower
BhavaniBhavani is a ferocious aspect of the Hindu goddess Parvati. Bhavani means "giver of life", the power of nature or the source of creative energy. In addition to her ferocious aspect, she is also known as Karunaswaroopini, "filled with mercy"....
, Mani Muthar , Cauvery Delta , Aarani River , Vaigai Dam ,
AmaravathiAmaravathi Dam at Amaravathinagar, 25 km south on NH 17 from Udumalpet, is located in Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India. The 9.31 km², 33.53 m deep Amaravathi Reservoir was created by this steep dam. It was built primarily for irrigation and flood...
,
SathanurSathanur is a village located near Magadi in Bangalore district of Karnataka, India. It has recently acquired some fame because it was the birth place of musician/composer Pandareeka Vittala....
,
Krishnagiri-Tourism:Thousands of visitors visit Krishnagiri each year. Majority come from Hosur/Bangalore and Chennai. KRP dam constructed in 1960's during the rule of the then Chief Minister Kamaraj located near the town, is a nice picnic spot. Nearby, Sayed Basha hills has a fort that was the fortress of...
, Pullambadi ,
ParambikulamParambikulam is located in the Palakkad district of Kerala state, south India. Established in 1973, the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is in the Sungam range of hills, sprawling over 285 km². It is at a distance of 135 km from Palakkad town and is situated adjacent to the Indira Gandhi...
and Neyyaru Dams were among them . The Lower Bhavani Dam in Coimbatore district was constructed with an expenditure of Rs 10/- Crores. 207000 acres (837.7 km²) of land are under cultivation.
45000 acres (182.1 km²) of land are benefited through
MetturMettur is an industrial Town municipality in Salem district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is best known for the Mettur Dam.However in recent years it has been associated with rampant industrial polluting, with the Chennai-based Community Environmental Monitoring arguing in their report...
canal of Salem. Another scheme was Krishnagiri in the same district. Vaigai ,
SathanurSathanur is a village located near Magadi in Bangalore district of Karnataka, India. It has recently acquired some fame because it was the birth place of musician/composer Pandareeka Vittala....
facilitate to cultivate thousands of acres of lands in Madurai and North Arcot districts respectively. Rs 30 crores were planned to spend for Parambikulam River scheme in Kamaraj's period. This has helped for the development of Coimbatore district in agriculture field.
A number of dams were constructed under his rule:
-
- Manimuthar Dam,
- Vaigai Dam.
- Aliyar Dam.
- Sathanur Dam.
- Krishnagiri Dam.
In 1957-61 1,628 Tanks were de-silted under Small Irrigation Scheme 2000 wells were digged with outlets. Long term loans with 25% subsidy were given to farmers. Apart from farmers who are having dry lands were given oil engines , electric pump sets on installment basis.
150 lakhs of acres of lands were cultivated during Kamaraj's period. One third of this i.e. 56 lakhs of acres of land got permanent watering facility.
Industrial Development
Industries with huge investments in crores of Rupees were started in his period.
Neyveli Lignite Scheme, Raw photo film industry at The Nilgiris, Surgical instruments factory at Guindy, Sugar factories , Bi-Carbonates factories, Cement factories, Railway Coach factory at Perambur, Mettur paper industry were started in the period of Kamaraj. These are the back-bone for the development of the nation.
Other industries which were started his period are
-
- BHEL, Trichy.
- Neyveli Lignite Corporation
Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited is a government-owned lignite mining and power generating company in India. NLC operates the largest open-pit lignite mines in India, presently mining 24 MT of lignite and has an installed capacity of 2490 MW of electricity per year. It also supplies a large...
.
- Manali Refinery Ltd.
Other
Many schemes were started to generate electricity like Kundah hydro power station, Ooty hydel power station and
NeyveliNeyveli is a mining and power generation township in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located at 11.30° N - 79.29° E. It is 52 km inland from Bay of Bengal, west of Pondicherry and 197 km south of Chennai. The township was developed after mining of lignite...
thermal power station.
During his period, Tamil Nadu was developing in all fronts.
Kamaraj remained Chief Minister for
three consecutive terms, winning elections in 1957 and 1962. Kamaraj noticed that the Congress party was slowly losing its vigor. He came up with a plan which was called the "
Kamaraj PlanKamaraj Plan was a political plan formulated in 1963 by K. Kamaraj, a senior leader of Indian National Congress, proposing that all senior Congress leaders should resign form their posts and devote all their energy to the re-vitalization of the Congress...
".
On 2 October 1963, he resigned from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Post. He proposed that all senior Congress leaders should resign from their posts and devote all their energy to the re-vitalization of the Congress.
In 1963 he suggested to Nehru that senior Congress leaders should leave ministerial posts to take up organisational work. This suggestion came to be known as the
Kamaraj Plan, which was designed primarily to dispel from the minds of Congressmen the lure for power, creating in its place a dedicated attachment to the objectives and policies of the organisation. Kamaraj was elected President, Indian National Congress, on 9 October 1963.
Well impressed by the achievements and acumen of Kamraj, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru felt that his services were needed more at the national level. In a swift move he brought Kamaraj to Delhi as the President of the Indian National Congress. Nehru realised that if he had wide learning and vision, Kamaraj possessed enormous common sense and pragmatism.
Kamaraj's First Cabinet
Kamaraj's council of ministers during his first tenure as Chief Minister(13 April 1954 - 31 March 1957):
| Minister |
Portfolios |
| K. Kamaraj |
Chief Minister, Public and Police in the Home Department |
M. BhaktavatsalamMinjur Bhaktavatsalam was an Indian lawyer, politician and freedom fighter from the state of Tamil Nadu. He served as the Chief Minister of Madras state from October 2, 1963 to March 6, 1967...
|
Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries, Cinchona, Rural Welfare, Community Projects, National Extension Scheme, Women’s Welfare, Industries and Labour and Animal Husbandry and Veterinary |
| C. Subramaniam |
Finance, Food, Education, Elections and Information and Publicity and Law (Courts and Prisons) |
| A. B. Shetty Attavar Balakrishna Shetty better known as A. B. Shetty was an Indian politician, philanthropist, entrepreneur and the founder of Vijaya Bank.- Biography :...
|
Medical and Public Health, Co-operation, Housing and Ex-servicemen. |
| M. A. Manickavelu Naicker M. Alagappa Manickavelu Naicker or simply, M. A. Manickavelu was an Indian politician of the Indian National Congress. He served as the Minister of Revenue for the Madras state from 1953 to 1962. He also served as a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1962 to 1964...
|
Land Revenue, Commercial Taxes and Rural Development |
| Raja Sri Shanmuga Rajeswara Sethupathi Shanmugha Rajeswara Sethupathi or Naganatha Sethupathi was an Indian politician of the Justice Party and later, the Indian National Congress and head of the zamindari of Ramnad from 1929 to 1967. He was a member of the Madras Legislative Assembly from 1951 to 1967 and served as a minister in C....
|
Public Works, Accommodation Control, Engineering Colleges, Stationery and Printing including Establishment questions of the Stationery Department and the Government Press |
| B. Parameswaran B. Parameswaran was an Indian politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly from Maduranthakam constituency as an Indian National Congress candidate in 1946, 1952, and 1962 elections. He was the grandson of Rettamalai...
|
Transport, Harijan Uplift, Hindu Religious Endowments, Registration and Prohibition |
| S. S. Ramasami Padayachi S. S. Ramasami Padayachi was a politician from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He was the founder of the Tamil political party Tamilnadu Toilers' Party, which is considered to be a predecessor of Pattali Makkal Katchi....
|
Local Administration |
Changes
- Following the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, A. B. Shetty quit the Ministry on 1 March 1956 and his portfolio was shared between the other ministers.
Kamaraj's Second Cabinet
Kamaraj's council of ministers during his second tenure as Chief Minister(1 April 1957 - 1 March 1962)
| Minister |
Portfolios |
| K. Kamaraj |
Chief Minister, Public, Planning and Development (including Local development Works, Women's Welfare, Community Projects and Rural Welfare), National Extension Scheme |
M. BhaktavatsalamMinjur Bhaktavatsalam was an Indian lawyer, politician and freedom fighter from the state of Tamil Nadu. He served as the Chief Minister of Madras state from October 2, 1963 to March 6, 1967...
|
Home |
| C. Subramaniam |
Finance |
R. VenkataramanRamaswamy Venkataraman was an Indian lawyer, Indian independence activist and politician who served as a Union minister and as the eighth President of India....
|
Industries |
| M. A. Manickavelu Naicker M. Alagappa Manickavelu Naicker or simply, M. A. Manickavelu was an Indian politician of the Indian National Congress. He served as the Minister of Revenue for the Madras state from 1953 to 1962. He also served as a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1962 to 1964...
|
Revenue |
| P. Kakkan P. Kakkan was a Dalit leader, freedom fighter and Indian politician who served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, Member of Parliament, President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and in various ministerial posts in Congress Governments in the erstwhile Madras state between...
|
Works |
| V. Ramaiah V. Ramaiah is an Indian politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as an Indian National Congress candidate from Tirumayam constituency in 1957 and 1962 elections.- References :...
|
Electricity |
| Lourdhammal Simon |
Local Administration |
Kamaraj's Third Cabinet
Kamaraj's council of ministers during his third tenure as Chief Minister(3 March 1962 - 2 October 1963)
| Minister |
Portfolios |
| K. Kamaraj |
Chief Minister, Public, Planning and Development (including Local development Works, Women's Welfare, Community Projects and Rural Welfare), National Extension Scheme |
M. BhaktavatsalamMinjur Bhaktavatsalam was an Indian lawyer, politician and freedom fighter from the state of Tamil Nadu. He served as the Chief Minister of Madras state from October 2, 1963 to March 6, 1967...
|
Finance and Education |
| Jothi Venkatachalam |
Public Health |
R. VenkataramanRamaswamy Venkataraman was an Indian lawyer, Indian independence activist and politician who served as a Union minister and as the eighth President of India....
|
Revenue |
| S. M. Abdul Majid |
Local Administration |
| P. Kakkan P. Kakkan was a Dalit leader, freedom fighter and Indian politician who served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, Member of Parliament, President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and in various ministerial posts in Congress Governments in the erstwhile Madras state between...
|
Agriculture |
| V. Ramaiah V. Ramaiah is an Indian politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as an Indian National Congress candidate from Tirumayam constituency in 1957 and 1962 elections.- References :...
|
Public Works and Revenue |
| N. Nallasenapathi Sarkarai Mandradiar |
Cooperation and Forests |
| G. Bhuvaraghan G. Bhuvaraghan was an Indian politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as an Indian National Congress candidate from Vridhachalam constituency in 1962, 1967 elections and as a Janata Party candidate in 1989...
|
Publicity and Information |
Electoral history
| Year | Post | Constituency | Party | Opponent | Election | Result |
| 1937 |
M.L.A |
Sattur Sattur is a town in Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The district has 8 taluks, namely Aruppukkottai, Kariapatti, Rajapalayam, Sattur, Sivakasi, Srivilliputur, Tiruchuli and Virudhunagar.In 1937 elections Former chief minister of Tamil Nadu K.Kamaraj had first won unopposed...
|
INCThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
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Unopposed |
1937 elections The First legislative assembly election for the Madras Presidency was held in February 1937. The Indian National Congress obtained a majority by winning 159 of 215 seats in the Legislative Assembly. This was the first electoral victory for the Congress in the presidency since elections were first...
|
Won |
| 1946 |
M.L.A |
Sattur Sattur is a town in Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The district has 8 taluks, namely Aruppukkottai, Kariapatti, Rajapalayam, Sattur, Sivakasi, Srivilliputur, Tiruchuli and Virudhunagar.In 1937 elections Former chief minister of Tamil Nadu K.Kamaraj had first won unopposed...
-Aruppukottai |
INCThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
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Unopposed |
1946 elections The second legislative assembly election for the Madras Presidency after the establishment of a bicameral legislature by the Government of India Act of 1935 was held in 1946. The election was held after 6 years of Governor's rule starting from 1939, when the Indian National Congress government of...
|
Won |
| 1952 |
M.P The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
|
Srivilliputtur |
INCThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
|
G. D. Naidu |
Indian General Elections, 1951The Indian general election, 1951 was the first democratic national election held in India after Independence, and the polls in Tamil Nadu were held for 62 seats. This state had the second largest number of seats, after Uttar Pradesh, because part of current Andhra Pradesh was part of the state of...
|
Won |
| 1954 |
M.L.A |
Gudiyatham - Madras State :- Tamil Nadu :- References :...
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INCThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
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V. K. Kothandaraman V. K. Kothandaraman was an Indian politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly from Gudiyatham constituency as a Communist Party of India candidate in 1957, 1967 and 1977 elections.- References :...
|
By Election |
Won |
| 1957 |
M.L.A |
Sattur Sattur is an assembly constituency located in Sivakasi Lok Sabha Constituency in Tamil Nadu.- Madras State assembly:- Tamil Nadu assembly:- References :...
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INCThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
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Jayarama Reddiar Jayarama Reddiar was an Indian politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as an Indian National Congress candidate from Aruppukottai constituency in 1952 election....
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Madras legislative assembly election, 1957 |
Won |
| 1962 |
M.L.A |
Sattur Sattur is an assembly constituency located in Sivakasi Lok Sabha Constituency in Tamil Nadu.- Madras State assembly:- Tamil Nadu assembly:- References :...
|
INCThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
|
P. Ramamoorthy |
Madras legislative assembly election, 1962The third legislative assembly election to the Madras state was held on 21 February 1962. The Indian National Congress party, led by K. Kamaraj, won the election. This was the last time that Congress won an election in Tamil Nadu...
|
Won |
| 1967 |
M.L.A |
Virudhunagar Virudhunagar is a legislative assembly constituency in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Elections were not held in year 1957 and 1962.- Madras State assembly:- Tamil Nadu assembly:- References :...
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INCThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
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P. Seenivasan P. Seenivasan was an Indian politician of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He served as the Deputy Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 1971 to 1972...
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Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 1967The fourth legislative assembly election of Madras State was held in February 1967. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam led coalition under the leadership of C.N. Annadurai won the election defeating the Indian National Congress . Anti-Hindi agitations, the rising prices of essential commodities and a...
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Lost |
| 1969 |
M.P The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
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Nagercoil Nagercoil was a Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu, India. K. Kamaraj Nadar, the first elected Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu was elected twice to the Lok Sabha from here.- Kamarajar by-election victory :...
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INCThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
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M. Mathias |
By Election |
Won |
| 1971 |
M.P The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
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Nagercoil Nagercoil was a Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu, India. K. Kamaraj Nadar, the first elected Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu was elected twice to the Lok Sabha from here.- Kamarajar by-election victory :...
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INC (O) The Indian National Congress or Congress was a political party in India formed when Indira Gandhi broke away from the leadership of the Congress Party...
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M. C. Balan M. C. Balan was an Indian politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate from Nagercoil constituency in Kanyakumari district in 1967 election. He was defeated by A. Chidambaranatha Nadar in...
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Indian General Elections, 1971The Indian general election, 1971 polls in Tamil Nadu were held for 39 seats in the state. After winning in 1967, DMK supported the Congress party under Indira Gandhi, and the 25 DMK MPs, ensured her to stay in power as a minority government, from 1969-1971. This state was crucial for Indira Gandhi...
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Won |
Leaving the congress
When the Congress split in 1969, Kamaraj became the leader of the
INC (O)The Indian National Congress or Congress was a political party in India formed when Indira Gandhi broke away from the leadership of the Congress Party...
in Tamil Nadu. The party fared poorly in the 1971 elections. He remained as the leader of INC (O) till his death in 1975.
Advice to his ministers
Kamaraj gave a simple advice to his ministers, "Face the problem. Don't evade it. Find a solution, however small. People will be satisfied if you do something." Followed by him a number of Central and State ministers like
Lal Bahadur ShastriLal Bahadur Srivastava Shastri was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of India and a significant figure in the Indian independence movement.-Early life:...
,
Jagjivan RamBabu Jagjivan Ram , known popularly as Babuji, was a freedom fighter and a social reformer hailing from the scheduled castes of Bihar in India. He was from the Chamar caste and was a leader for his community...
,
Satyendra Narayan SinhaSatyendra Narayan Sinha was an Indian statesman, participant in the Indian independence movement, and a former Chief Minister of Bihar...
,
Morarji DesaiMorarji Ranchhodji Desai was an Indian independence activist and the fourth Prime Minister of India from 1977–79. He was the first Indian Prime Minister who did not belong to the Indian National Congress...
and
S.K. PatilS.K. Patil or Sadashiv Kanoji Patil was a former Congress leader from Maharashtra. A veteran freedom-fighter, he was a scholar and a fine orator. He was a qualified journalist. He had exceptional organising skills and strengthened the Congress organisation in Mumbai at the grassroot level. He was...
followed suit and resigned from their posts. In 1964, Kamaraj was elected 'Congress President' and he successfully navigated the party and the nation through the stormy years following Nehru's death. Kamaraj’s political maturity came in full view when Nehru died in 1964. How he settled the succession issue for the Prime Ministership was amply proved by his choice of
Lal Bahadur ShastriLal Bahadur Srivastava Shastri was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of India and a significant figure in the Indian independence movement.-Early life:...
and
Indira GandhiIndira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
in succession.
Death
On October 2, 1975, Kamaraj died in his sleep. He was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the 'Bharat Ratna' posthumously in 1976.
Popular culture
In 2004 a
TamilTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
Movie about his life was released titled "Kamaraj". The English version of the film was released on DVD in 2007.
External links