A day after the DMK's move to get the class 10 board exams cancelled proved successful, the opposition party and its leader, M.K. Stalin, are in deep sorrow. The party has lost J. Anbazhagan, a legislator and its Chennai West district secretary. The DMK MLA breathed his last at 8.05am on Wednesday at the COVID-19 facility at Dr Rela Institute in Chennai. Anbazhagan is the first high-profile leader to die of COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu.
J. Anbazhagan (62) was one of the key strategists of the DMK in Chennai and had served as MLA three times from two different constituencies.
The son of 'Pazhakadai' Jayaraman, Anbazhagan was always a close confidante of the DMK leadership. He was arrested at the age of 18 during the Emergency. He was the face of the DMK in Chennai's most popular areas of T Nagar, Chepauk and Triplicane.
An outspoken personality who never had second thoughts in pointing out the errors of the top leadership, Anbazhagan was first elected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 2001 from T. Nagar constituency. A three-time MLA, Anbazhagan got re-elected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly from Chepauk-Triplicane constituency in 2011 and in 2016. Anbazhagan chose to move to Chepauk-Triplicane constituency, when DMK leader M. Karunanidhi decided to contest from Thiruvarur.
An ardent cricket fan, Anbazhagan was also into the movie business through his company, Anbu pictures. A tech-savvy person in the DMK, Anbazhagan was comfortable in handling the social media attacks against the DMK on many occasions.
He was a close confidante of DMK chief M.K. Stalin and was one of the key leaders of the party.
Reportedly, he was one among the few district secretaries who opposed the roping in of poll strategist Prashant Kishor to work for DMK in the 2021 elections. Anbazhagan opposed the move during a Zoom meeting with Stalin a month ago.
Anbazhagan was on the field providing relief to people stranded because of the coronavirus. He is said to have contracted the virus when he was on the field. Anbazhagan was taking medicines for immuno-suppression. Anbazhagan had undergone liver transplant in the late 90s at a hospital in London. He was admitted to a private hospital in Chennai on June 2. He was on ventilator support since June 2.
Anbazhagan is the fourth legislator to have passed away recently, after Radhamani, K.P.P. Samy and Gudiyatham Kaathavarayan. M.K. Stalin penned a emotional obituary to his party colleague, saying, "This news has come as a huge shock. J. Anbazhagan stood by me to help people combat the pandemic situation. I'm out of words to offer condolences to his family as I'm having an emotional breakdown." Stalin announced three days mourning by the party as mark of respect for Anbazhagan.
