The very famous actor and DMDK chief Vijayakanth passed away at just the age of seventy one at a hospital in Chennai on December 28, 2023.
The politician was admitted with Pneumonia and was also receiving ventilator support. The official from the Miot Hospital where the leader was admitted confirmed his death.
Earlier , the party had informed through one of their posts that Vijayakanth was admitted to a hospital and received ventilator support after he showed difficulties in breathing
As per his party, he tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on ventilator support. The hospital released a statement saying,
After being admitted with pneumonia, Captain Vijayakanth was receiving ventilator support. He passed away in the morning despite the medical staff’s best attempts.
Vijayakanth was admitted for regular health checkups on 26 December, and the party believed that he would return to health after the test.
His body was brought to his home and will soon be transported to the DMDK office. On November 20, the DMDK chief had been admitted to the hospital earlier. He was in the hospital getting treatment for a respiratory ailment.
The head of the DMDK will be buried with full state honors, according to a statement made by MK Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.
It was on 26 December 2023, he was admitted to the hospital. He has spent a significant amount of time in and out of the hospital. He went to the United States in 2017 to receive an organ transplant. His toes were also removed in June 2022 as a result of chronic diabetes.
Vijayakanth: The Actor turned into a Politician
Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami, who was later popularly known as Vijayakanth, was born in 1952 in Madurai. He was one of the finest Indian politicians and former actors in the Tamil Nadu film industry. All of his work has made him one of the top-branded actors in the industry.
From 2011 until 2016, he also led the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The actor, producer, and director Vijayakanth married Premalatha and has two sons.
Vijayakant rose to prominence in the Tamil Nadu film industry alongside Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan. His down-to-earth persona won the admiration of a multitude of fans. While holding a position at Nadigar Sangam, Vijayakanth brought many revolutionary changes to the South Indian film industry.
The actor founded the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) in 2005. He aimed to provide an alternative political platform in Tamil Nadu, challenging the established Dravidian parties like the DMK and AIADMK. Later, he scripted history and served as the leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly from 2011–2016.
Later, the party had many internal challenges, and owing to differences of opinion, the DMDK broke ties with the AIADMK, resulting in the resignation of many MLAs. After that, the party lost its status as the main opposition party.
In 2014, DMDK had strong ties with the NDA and campaigned extensively for PM candidate Narendra Modi, which eventually made the two very close.
Political Leaders condole the demise of the DMDK chief
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, expressed condolences for the demise of the founder and leader of DMDK. He posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying that Vijayakanth is his close friend, and his demise has left a void that will be hard to fill.
Modi wrote on X
Extremely saddened by the passing away of Thiru Vijayakanth Ji. A legend of the Tamil film world, his charismatic performances captured the hearts of millions. As a political leader, he was deeply committed to public service, leaving a lasting impact on Tamil Nadu’s political landscape.
He also shared that his thoughts are with the family, fans and numerous followers.
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramaniam has reached the residence of DMDK chief Captain Vijayakanth in Chennai. M.K. Stalin declared on Thursday that their friendship remained the same regardless of the political situation. The CM fondly recalled his time spent in the cultural sector working with Vijayakant.
Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy expressed sorrow and pain at the passing of DMDK leader Vijayakant on Thursday, stating that the actor-turned-politician had instilled feelings of patriotism and revolutionary beliefs in people via his films.
