Political

Political Career

Beliefs

As a youngster CVB was inclined to get involved with local development and social issues – right from his school and college days. He used to discuss and debate with like minded friends and family about how one could contribute to the development of the country. Steps for greater roles in society were laid right in the beginning.

Inspiration

CVB was inspired by Anna’s leadership and Periyar’s charisma. CVB used to read a lot about the Dravida movement and was completely inspired by their achievements and progressive thinking. MGR’s larger than life presence and later Amma’s awe-inspiring life propelled the young, impressionable and ambitious CVB headlong into politics. With the sole aim of giving a voice to the common man.

Beginnings

Dr.CVB’s political aspirations started as a young college student. He became a senate member in the Dr. MGR Medical University while doing his MBBS. On completion of his MBBS at the age of 25, he decided against doing his M.D and instead committed himself to the white garb of a politician. His first ever election would see him win a seat at the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu at the age of just 26.

Dr.CVB was again elected to the legislative assembly in 2011. Two years later he became the Health and Family Welfare Minister of Tamil Nadu at the age of 39. He became the only Health Minister in India to have an MBBS and a degree in law. Since then Dr CVB has worked to make Tamil Nadu the model state for Healthcare in India. He has made transplants easier, given 5.38 million pregnant women financial benefits of Rs.18000 each, and established four world-class cancer centres in the state. These and many more landmark achievements have seen Tamil Nadu reach the healthcare Millennium Development Goals set by the UN ahead of the rest of the country.

Party History

The party was founded in 1972 as Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) by M. G. Ramachandran.

The party’s first victories were the Dindigul parliamentary by-election in 1973 and the Coimbatore assembly by-election a year later.

MGR was sworn in as the 7th Chief Minister of the state on 30 June 1977. MGR remained in power until his death on 24 December 1987, winning consecutive assembly elections held in 1977, 1980 and 1984.

The AIADMK allied with the Congress and swept to power in the 1991 assembly election under the leadership of Dr. J. Jayalalithaa. She was in power for a full term of five years. In the 1996 assembly election, AIADMK suffered a massive rout, winning only four out of the 234 assembly seats.
In the 2001 assembly election, the AIADMK-led alliance won 197 seats, with AIADMK winning 132. Amma took many popular decisions such as banning of lottery tickets, restricting the liquor and sand quarrying business to government agencies and banning tobacco product sales near schools and colleges. in the 2011 assembly election, the party swept the polls, winning 202 seats, with the AIADMK winning 150. Amma was sworn in as Chief Minister for the third time.
On 22 September 2016, Amma was admitted to Apollo Hospital, Chennai due to fever and dehydration. After a prolonged illness, she passed away on 5 December 2016. Subsequently, Thiru.Edappadi K. Palaniswami became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu & Thiru.O.Panneerselvam became the Deputy Chief Minister.